


A Month and A Half of Wednesdays

by SKAllen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Romance, magic!baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-05-03 20:38:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 41,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5306018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKAllen/pseuds/SKAllen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>40 weeks is ten months not nine... They have it all wrong.Emma spends every Wednesday night at the mills Manor, and has made a little discovery after one wild Wonderful Day with The Mayor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. July

**Prologue - July**

Two years of mid-week dinners, fights and triumphs.  Together Regina and I have been through so much. Since I became The Dark One and the two of us vanquished the darkness, the two of us are now closer than ever before.

Friends wouldn’t even begin to describe the level of emotional intimacy we’ve reached.  we were much more, than friends, more than sisters, yet, there was this thing about the two of us, a barrier that neither would cross for fear that everything we had built together would completely fall apart.

* * *

**July 1, 2015**

* * *

 

Wednesdays we had decided would be our family nights.  It just seemed like a week without Henry for either of us was a little hard, so on Wednesdays we convened and the mansion or Granny’s  for a dinner and just generally spend time with each other as a family.

But As I stepped out of the Station I was confronted by Hook.  I groaned.  “Not Now Killian.”  I said stepping away from the pirate.  “I’ve got dinner plans.”

“I seem to recall a time when Dinner plans with me were a priority.”

“Yes, and as of last night, the are not.  You are no longer my problem Jones.”  I said moving around him and heading for the Bug.

“That thing, with her… that was harmless.”  He insisted.

“It was not Killian!”  I stated angrily falling for the bait.  I don’t know anyone in this town that doesn’t know who I am and who I was with so whatever she said about not knowing he was in a relationship was bull shit.

“How do you tell someone you love them one minute, then treat them as if they have the plague the next?  Can you blame me for falling in someone else's bed?” he spat at me getting to the point. Yes he loved me, but he couldn't’ keep it in his pants.

I laughed hysterically.  “Oh my god Killian walk away before I blast you.”

“We dated for months Swan, and not even once… I am a bloody man!”  He said.  “But I accept my weakness, and I’m regretful, I just want the woman I love back.”

This was just not the right time to be having this conversation. I was not in the right frame of mind, plus I was PMSing like a bitch. “I have to go Hook.”

“Emma!”  He tried as I closed my door and started up the bug.

I arrived at the Mansion, entirely too frazzled I hoped it didn’t ruin dinner.  Henry Opened the door It was his week with Regina and I hadn’t really seen him in two days.  His smile was like a salve to my wounds and I held my son to me.  A few tears slid out of my eyes.  I really didn’t need to be crying over that pirate.  I let Henry go and wondered if Regina would let me talk to her about it.  But first dinner.

“Hey Regina.”  I said stepping into her kitchen.  She turned and smiled at me.  Her smile faltered when she met my gaze.  Damn it. I wasn’t hiding this well enough.  “You have any water in the fridge?”

“Yes, Help yourself.”  I did and went off to the living room to play a game with Henry.  He could always make me forget all the crap that happened to me.  It was times like this I wished I had kept him.  My life would have felt so much more complete had I done so.  But then I would have no Regina.

After Dinner, I played another game with Henry.  After I spanked him, he gave me a hug and headed up for some reading.  “What’s wrong?”  I heard as soon as his footsteps retreated up the stairs.

“That obvious?”  I asked as Regina sat next to me.

“No… well, I’ve learned you,”  she said tentatively.

I looked at her quirking a skeptical brow.  “So what is it that you are seeing exactly?”

“You… want to cry.” Regina stated.  I laughed. “Why… Is something I cannot guess at.”

“I broke up with Killian last night.”  I said finally allowing the tears that she had perceptively predicted.

“Oh…”  She said.  and that was all she said.  I was expecting snark about Captain eyeliner, but she remained silent.  Much like I did when She and Robin split over his baby mama drama.

“He, cheated with… God Regina how many fucking Fairytale characters exist? I don’t know who she was, but her saying that she hadn’t known he was with me is bullshit.  Of course I didn’t buy it and they are both on my shit list.”  I was crying full out now.  “I Hate him, and I’m cramping… I just want to go home and eat a pint of rocky road.”

“I have ice cream, and vodka.”  was all she said.  I looked over at her and laughed.

“Yes… Ok.”

* * *

**July 8, 2015**

* * *

 

“Alright Kid, lets go see your mom.”  I said walking downstairs from my room.  I grabbed my Jacket, Maine gets unseasonably cold at night in the summer.

Yup.”  He said following me out.  

Once outside I stopped short.  “Don’t start Killian.”

“Just listen…”  He continued and I pushed Henry ahead of me to the car.

“I don’t want to listen to you. I don’t want to see you…”  I looked toward the bug.  “And I don’t want to talk to you in front of my kid.”

“I just…”

“I need space Killian.”  I said moving to the car.  He grabbed my arm to pull me closer and Henry Stepped out of the car.

“She said she needs space.”  He said pushing him away.

“Henry, come on.”  I said pulling him away from Killian. “I can fight my own battles.”

“Keep your boy away, don’t want to  see him hurt.”  Killian said.

I turned around and punched him in the jaw.  It felt so fucking good, but my knuckles were fucked. and I won’t be able to grip my food.  I shook my hand and got in the bug to head over to Granny’s. “Don’t  you ever… try to talk to me again.”

“He is such an asshole.”  Henry said the moment I was in the car.

“Don’t let your mother hear you speaking that way.”  I said heading out in the direction of the diner.

“Why not she hates him.”  Henry said .  I laughed.

Regina was already at the diner when we got there.  I made a beeline to Ruby and asked her for some Ice before I went to join my son and his mother at the table. “Hey,”  I said sitting across from her..

“Have a fist fight with a wall?”  She asked.

“Something like that.”  I answered. “What were you two talking about?”

“Next Wednesday is Mom’s birthday.”  Henry said.

“Oh?  You have anything special planned?  Do you want me to make myself scarce?”  I asked leaning back in my seat.

“No…”   She said quickly.  Then she cleared her throat and ran her fingers through her hair. “I mean, you’re probably the only two people I want to spend my  birthday with.”

I smiled, “well I’m honored… and we’re gonna get hammered.”

Regina laughed.  “We’re headed out of town for the day, will you join us?”

“Yeah we’re going to Playland in Saco Bay.”  Henry stated.

“I am so in.”  I said. This was gonna be fun.

* * *

**July 15, 2015**

* * *

 

I opened the door to my apartment early that morning to see my grinning kid on the other side.  “Let’s get out of here. I can’t wait to get to the beach..”

“Yes, I can’t wait to get out of Storybrooke with you and mom, I have a feeling she will finally get to let loose and be herself out there.”

“Let’s see  if we can get her on a coaster.” I said and we headed down to the waiting Mercedes.  I placed my bag in the trunk and slipped into the passenger seat.

We rode in silence until we passed through the border of town, then I spotted an ipod in one of the slots on her dash.  “Whose tunes are these?”  It was a small shuffle, nothing fancy.

“Mom’s.” Henry said.

Regina looked down at my hand and took the Shuffle away from me.  “You may plug your own if you want.”  she said.

“Oh no… it’s your birthday and I am dying to hear what is in your playlist.”  I said taking it back and plugging it in.  The sounds of MoTown rang out from the speakers.  Smokey Robinson’s Cruisin’ rolled out.  The original not the Gwyneth Paltrow version. “Oooh!’  I said and sang along with Smokey.

Regina smiled she looked pleased that I approved of her music choices.  MoTown is great no complaints.  Then after that, the shuffle landed on  a notably hip hop song.  My eyes widened.  I looked at Henry who was laughing a little at my surprise.  Then she actually was mouthing some of the lyrics.  It was crazy.  I listened to the lyrics

Sasquatch, Godzilla, King Kong

Lochness, Goblin, Ghoul, a zombie with no conscience

Question what do all these things have in common

Everybody knows I'm a motherfucking monster

I chuckled “You just like this song because you can call yourself a monster in a good way.”

She smiled.  “Partly… and partly because I truly like hip hop.”

“There’s more?”  I asked.  She nodded.  “I swore that this would be full of  classical music and Opera.”

“There is that too…”  she said as the song actually ended and Andrea Boccelli began to sound through the speakers..

I shook my head and leaned back on to the seat and enjoyed the  music  as it kept going in many surprising directions. Lots of hip hop, some pop, a little bit of Spanish music, salsa and such.  A little R&B, country  and TONS of Opera and Classical.  I just really enjoyed trying to coax  her into singing.

She never did, but she lip synced. It was awesome to know her like this.

Once we got to Playland, Regina and I hung back a little.  “I’m ready to go on a ride… Lets go on Rip tide!”  Henry said excitedly.

“Oh, no… you two go ahead.”  Regina said.

“Hey Hen, you go I’ll stay with your mom.”  I said hanging back with this woman I have found so fascinating.  but I knew Henry wouldn’t want to leave her alone on her birthday.  “Come on Regina, I can’t leave you alone today.

“I don’t do thrill rides, Swan.”  She said.

“Why not?  Have you ever tried?”  I asked her rounding on her.

She rolled her eyes.  “No, but I have no interest--”

“Come on. let’s start with something simple.  The carousel.. come on.”  I said and tugged her by the hand to the kiddie ride.  She sat side saddle on the black horse I straddled my own white steed holding on to the pole going through the wooden animal.  “I am determined to get you on a coaster by the end of the day.”

“Good luck..”  she said with a smirk and couldn’t stop smiling the whole ride.

Once we were off the Carousel Henry found us.  “Let's get on Dodg’em!”

“What on earth is that?” She asked.

I smiled widely and pulled at her.  “Bumper Cars!”  She didn’t resist our prodding toward the ride.  I heard her let loose  of a few chortles.

“That was fun,” She said giving Henry a hug.  “I think… maybe I’ll let you and  your mother try to get me on some rides.”  

“Yes!”  Henry said then looked at me.  “Drop Zone?”

I smirked.  “Drop zone.”

“Oh no… that does not sound  fun.”  She said as we pulled her over to the platform wrapped around a central tower.  She watched the ride go a few times and her breath hitched.  “I’m not getting on that.”

“Come on Regina.  Look at all of these people’s faces.  Look at their smiles. Come on.”  I said and both Henry and I got her on the ride.  As  the platform rose up the column, she reached for my hand and squeezed the life out of it.  I was sure I would feel that for a while, but still I let her hold on tightly.  When we dropped both Henry and I screamed at the top of our lungs.  Regina was quiet. Not a sound came from her and as we got off the ride we waited for her reaction.

She let out a breath and laughed silently.  “That was thrilling.”  she said breathlessly.

“Does that mean you wanna do another one?”  I asked my grin matching Henry’s.

“What’s next?”  she asked

“The Pirate?” Henry questioned pointing at a boat swinging on a pendulum.

“No!”  Both Regina and I answered.

“I have no desire to ride on anything resembling a boat.”  she said to Henry.

“If I wanted to ride a pirate, I’d have stayed with Hook.”  I mumbled mostly to myself but Regina heard me and laughed out loud.  It was strange but it made me smile.

“How about a real roller coaster then?”  Henry asked.  “Orient express?”

Regina and I looked at each other and shrugged and headed in that direction.  Regina did enjoy the ride even making a funny face at the camera at the drop. I watched her reveal herself with real awe. She was awesome.

“Lets do a water ride next.”  Henry said.  Regina looked down at herself, and Took off her shoes switching them for some she could get wet.  Then she pulled off her shirt leaving just her bikini top. and followed Henry to the ride.

Cascade Falls was one of those flume rides with hollow logs with a satisfying splash down at the end.  After that The three of us walked around the bark and ate some park food.  I watched as she walked the park with her arm draped over our son.  I took a few pictures of them covertly.  she looked so beautiful loose like this.

“I want to ride the Superstar.”  Henry said excitedly.

“Ugh Henry, I think I have to sit out a ride after those corn dogs.”  Regina said.

“It’s just a Ferris wheel.”  He said and pointed at it.

“Oh hell no Kid, that, is a vomit trap.  You can go if you want.”  I interjected.  “We’ll go on the Electra Wheel.”

“Okay okay…”  He said and headed in that direction.  We watched him go then turned to ride the other Ferris wheel.

“I am really having a great time.”  She said as we ascended in the wheel.

“I’m glad,”  I said.  “I’m actually having an incredible time at learning you as a person.”

She smiled at me and took my hand. “This is the best birthday I have ever had.”

“Really?”  I asked.

“Yes.”  she answered.

“How many birthdays?”  I asked with a smirk not really expecting an answer.

Regina leaned away from me but didn’t let go of my hand.  She smirked.  “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes, that’s why I asked!”  I said with a chuckle.

“Sixty Five.”  She answered quietly.

I stopped and gaped at her. “Shut the front door… you are the hottest sixty-five year old I have ever met.”

She laughed. “My body is only Thirty five.”

“Sixty is the new thirty.”  I said with a smile and she leaned into me again.

“You are a very pleasant person to be around.”  Regina said her head resting on my shoulder.  “even if you tend to act like a child.

“Well, compared to you, I am a child.”  I answered and she elbowed me on the ribs.  I laughed through the pain.  “Sorry, sorry.”

She looked out to the ocean and took a deep breath.  I couldn’t take my eyes away from her.  “It’s amazing what a change of setting will do to the same sight.”

I know she was talking about the ocean, but I was looking at her.  She was… so  beautiful.  I reached my hand out and pulled the hair that was blowing on to her face behind her ear.  She turned her eyes to me.  I was drawn to her like a magnet.  Those full lips just called for me to kiss them. so I did.  She could have pushed me away.  She could have slapped me, but she wrapped her arms around my neck and the rest of the ride we stayed like this only taking breaks to breathe.

A slight cough finally made us pull away from each other.  I could feel the furious blush on my face as we walked off the ride.  Henry was off to the side talking to a girl.  He stammered as we approached and waved goodbye to her.  “ready to head to the beach?”  Regina said.

“Yeah.”  Henry said walking ahead of us. I walked beside her unsure of what just happened between she and I.  I didn’t know what I should do next until she reached out and held my hand.  She smiled at me and I blushed harder squeezing her hand back.

We had a little private party back at the mansion when we got home later that night. We sat together in the living room to watch a movie but soon Henry sent himself to bed as the day had worn him out.  I supposed I could have gone home.  but I didn’t want the day to end.  So I sat and watched the movie.

It wasn’t long after He left that Regina reached out and ran her fingers through my hair making me turn to look at her. “Thanks for today.”  she said.

“I had so much fun.”  I said placing my hands on her thighs. She shifted and straddled my legs.  “I really liked kissing you.”  I said softly.  She just leaned forward and kissed me.

That first time with Regina on her couch was incredible... being able to feel  and fill her inside was more than I could take.  Then she surrounded us with , magic and moved us to her bed where she ravished me. I looked at the clock on her nightstand, and saw that it was 11:59 I'd been up for twenty hours, and it seemed like the night was just beginning.

* * *

**July  22, 2015**

* * *

 

My parents kidnapped my son for two entire weeks. As soon as I got him on Sunday, they took off camping. Which meant I had to pick up the slack for David... So I hadn't seen Regina since Sunday afternoon.  To top it off I had lost my phone so to say I'd been able to have been having awesome sexts and flirty conversations with her at all.

I groaned and dropped my head onto a stack of papers. Then I hear it. The distinct clip clop of Regina's Jimmy Choo's. It wasn't the calm staccato of someone approaching you with ease, but it was a hot tempered quick step toward my desk.  "Why haven't you answered any of my texts?"

I looked up at her and was breathless having not seen her in four days.  "I don't know where it is" I answered openly leering at her.

She recognized the look in my eye for what it was and I could see her struggle not to fold her arms in front of her. "It's Wednesday," she said almost shyly. "Are we still on for Granny's?"

"Without Henry?" I asked.

She faltered as if uncomfortable. "I thought... We--"

"Yes! We could just hang out at your house though..." I said then I grinned devilishly "or you could come over and we can fuck on my parents bed."

She laughed, I thought she'd admonish me but she laughed. " you do realize that bed experiences that almost nightly right?"

"Ugh... Ok, bad idea." I said thrilled that the thought of being with me again wasn't totally disgusting to her.

"I don't know, I suppose I could indulge in a bit of sexual role play where you and I are teenage girls left home alone with nothing to do..."

I groaned at the arousal pooling in my loins, "it's lunch time, I have some time now, wanna go have some lunch?"

Regina leaned forward over the desk to bring our faces close.  She kissed my cheek then whispered in my ear. "My appetite is peaked, would you like to eat here? Or take it elsewhere?"

The interrogation table will forever feel weird to me.

* * *

**July 29, 2015**

* * *

 

“Why are you so hysterical?”  Regina asked me as I slid out of her bed That morning.

“Excuse me?”

“I haven’t said anything you haven’t heard before.” She wrapped herself in her sheets and came towards me.  “We were joking around what happened?”

Truth is I didn’t know all I knew was that her insisting that my parents are idiots was bothering me this morning.  “I just… Why are you with me?”

“I ask myself that more and more every day now.” She mumbled.  Now I wanted to cry.  I extended my hand toward where my clothes lay on the ground and made them appear on my body.  Now fully dressed I just turned and walked out of her bedroom.  “Shit, Emma!”

I could hear her running after me.  By the way her footsteps sounded, she was fully clothed by the time she hit the first step.  I slammed the front door on my way out.  but of course that didn’t stop her as she materialized gorgeous as ever in front of me in the walk way. “What is it?”  she asked.

“I don’t know Regina, just… Leave me alone right now.”  I said walking around her and heading to my car.  

“It’s Wednesday…”  She said her tone almost panicked.  I turned to face her.  she didn’t look panicked, but she looked hopeful.

I sighed, “see you at dinner.” I got into the car and drove home. I needed to shower and change my perspective.  Maybe  I’m PMSing or something.  I do feel a little bloated.  That’s what it is.  I wrapped my arms around my chest and felt the telltale soreness there and I smiled.  Yeah… I’m just hormonal.

“Miss Swan!”  I heard Regina’s stern voice calling me.  I jumped.  I had fallen asleep at my desk.

“The hell?”  I asked myself as I wiped the drool off of the paperwork I was working on.

“You will be redoing that report.”  Regina said.  I looked up and saw the smirk in her features.  She came around the desk and leaned back on it facing me.  She put a greasy paper bag from Granny’s on my desk then reached out to pull a stray hair behind my ear.  “I know I didn’t wear you out that badly.”

I smiled.  “I don’t know.  I did work pretty hard last night.”  She smiled.  “I’m sorry about this morning.  I think I’m just a bit hormonal… That time of the month… you know?”

“Ah…”  she said and took one of my hands in hers.  “I suppose I better get used to it..”

“You get pretty bitchy too….”  I said defending myself.

“I’m bitchy all the time Dear.”  Regina said and smirked.  “I just came to see how you were doing, I must return to my office Granny’s was busier than I expected.” She leaned forward and kissed me and I watched her walk out of the room.

* * *

“Mmmm.. W-wait Regina.”  I said pushing her away.  After dinner we walked toward the living room to watch a movie, One thing led to another and again we were making out.

“What is it?”  She asked pausing her movements.  

I took her hand and kissed it.  “Babe, I really just feel like shit right now. I’m all bloated and ugly and I’m not getting into this the way you would like me to.  Can you just hold me tonight?”

Regina quirked a brow at the word Babe, then took a deep breath Leaned back then stood up. “I’ll be right back.”  She said.

I pouted, I didn’t want her to go.  She went into the kitchen and into the fridge I could hear.  When she came back she had two  bottles with her.  One beer for me, and  a  water for her. I took the beer gratefully and drank from the bottle.  I wrapped my arms around her, and she finally settled against me. “Thank you.”  I whispered in her ear.

She turned to me and pressed a kiss on my lips.  chaste without the little push toward what she had wanted before.  If I didn’t already know it in some subliminal level, I was certain by then that I was falling for Regina.  I just hoped that she was falling for me too.  I bit my lip after she turned back to the movie.  I wanted to cry, and again I didn’t know why.  I swallowed back the tears and turned to the screen hoping that these mood swings would just go away.

 ****  
  



	2. August

**August 5, 2015**

* * *

I practically pounced her the moment Henry went to bed this night.  It had been a week since we’d been together.  After that night  The two of us got busy with another freaking Storybrooke crisis.  Then The Kid came back and didn’t let me out of his sight.  It was my week to have him.  So on Wednesday, I took him home to sleep over at Regina’s because mom and dad had wanted a night alone together.  They sent Neal off with Ruby and Granny and I was supposed to find my own entertainment for the evening.

 

Done.

 

It was perfect because The night before had been the end of my lazy ass period.  It was weird.  A little short and not as heavy but I wasn’t complaining.  Because I could finally have her again. “Oh I wish you could be here every night.”  Regina mumbled against my lips.

 

I pulled back and looked in her eyes.  “Really?”

 

“Uh..”  she stopped  for a second trying to pull away.  “I don’t know what I just said Emma, you have a knack for making me stupid.”

 

I chuckled and stepped closer and wrapped my arms around her neck. “You want me here every night?”  I whispered against her neck.  She shuddered and tilted her head back.  I nipped at the soft skin there.

 

“God, yes.”  She moaned.

 

“I missed you all week,”  I whispered.

 

She hummed and turned her head to reciprocate biting down lightly on my pulse point.  I gasped.  “We should take this upstairs.”  She whispered.

 

I threw my head back and breathed out allowing my magic to do its thing.  Regina  raised her head from the crook of my neck as we landed softly on her bed.  “You are getting really good at that.”  She said lying back.

 

I smiled and leaned forward just kind of hovering over her. “It’s where I always want to be…”

 

She laughed at that and reached out running her hands through my hair, she pulled me down for a kiss and flipped us so that I’d be on the bottom.  Then the door to the room opened.  “Mom, About Emma, I thought it would be cool if…”

 

The two of us looked to the door. Luckily we were still dressed, or this could have been a real scarring experience for the kid. “Hey Hen… I think I’m good.”

 

“Uh… Yeah, I guess… um, I’ll just go.”  Henry said stepping back.

 

Regina sat up in the bed, her legs straddling my hips. “Are you alright?” She asked him.

 

“No… I mean yeah, bye!”  He said and closed the door as quickly as he could and ran to his room.

 

Regina collapsed in laughter when we heard the door to his room slam shut.  She raised one hand up and with the other she swiped it right like on an iPad and the door locked.  “Has that happened to you before?”  I asked.

 

Regina shook her head.  “I should really be embarrassed right now.  But I’m not… I never thought … I feel like a parent.”

 

“And you didn’t feel like that before?”  I asked coming up on my elbows.

 

“Well… My affairs were never something I worried about before.  I never cared before.” She stated moving to climb off me.

 

I placed my hands on her hips.  “No way, lets do this.”  I tugged at her blouse and began to unbutton it.  “The kid will get over it, it wasn’t as if we were naked.”

 

“I should have taught him to knock before going to mommy’s room.”  She said and leaned forward to kiss my neck.

 

“What did you do to the door?”  I whisper moaned.

 

“Noise block, and lock.”  Was all she said before she set to work.

* * *

**August 12, 2015**

* * *

 

I woke up the next Wednesday morning to a hand on my bare chest.  Regina was focused on handling my breasts and I wished she would stop, but I wondered if this would actually turn into something. I needed her attention somewhere else. “They feel different.”  She whispered.

“How do you mean?”  I said and she looked up into my eyes.  She bit her lip sexily and smiled.  

 

She was so affectionate.  Especially here in the mansion.  The morning after Henry found us out,  we had a sit down with our son.  He was cool with this relationship.  Though I never doubted he would be okay with it. Since then, Regina has made sure to be affectionate with me whether he was there or not.  “It shows our son what a real loving relationship is like,”  She had said in passing.

 

But that had stayed with me.  Did she love me?

 

“Do you not feel the difference?”  she asked breaking into my thoughts.  She had taken both of them in her hands as she straddled me.

 

“Ow…”  I said taking her hands off.  “I feel like a freaking cow.  Stop unless you plan on putting your mouth on them.”

 

She obliged…

 

* * *

 

“So you’re saying a shadow ripped ...” I trailed off from what I was saying.  I could smell onion rings, I must be really hungry.  “Ripped your kid’s sweater from…”  I could hear the footsteps at the door. “Her body?”

 

“Sheriff?”  Mrs. Larroche said.  These minor characters were hard to keep track of.

 

“Um… Here comes the Mayor, this problem sounds magical.”  I said as Regina walked into the room with lunch for me.

 

I smiled gratefully I was starved.  “Mrs. Larroche said there is a shadow lurking trying to snatch kids… sounds a little like Pan.”  I sat with my lunch and ate as the woman told Regina what she had told me.  That she went in to check on her baby last night and there was a shadow looming over it trying to get something, but she took the baby out of it’s reach before it could get to the kid and it took the kid’s sweater with it.

 

“That’s not Pan… We killed Pan.”  Regina said folding her arms in front of her.

 

“We will look into this.” I said grabbing my phone catching a text from David.

 

Come to Granny’s quick.

 

I took one last bite of my burger dropped it in the bag.  grabbed a couple of onion rings and headed for the door.  “I have to run, see you tonight.”

 

“Alright dear, I’ll search my books for some answers.”  I heard her say before I let the door close behind me.  I finished the last onion ring as I ran across the street to the diner. I felt sick as soon as it hit my stomach like a ton of bricks.  My lunch was on the sidewalk before I hit the curb.  I had doubled over once I caught the scent of grease in the air that I usually loved and without warning… well not enough to get to the bathroom my stomach betrayed me.

 

“Em, are you okay?”  Dad said to me as he walked closer.

 

I nodded and spit as much of the bile from my mouth as I could.  He handed me his drink.  I took a sip of the water and swished it around and spit it out. “That was weird.”

 

He rubbed my back, then put his hand on my shoulder.  “You sure you’re okay?”

 

I nodded again and sighed.  I did feel way better.  “What’s up?”

 

“It’s Granny…”

 

* * *

 

“The source of this magic seems to be shadow magic.”  Regina said as she cooked dinner.  I listened as I helped.  “It isn’t something that I understand even if it is dark magic.”

 

“Do you know who knows anything about this?”

 

“Doctor Facilier,”  Regina answered.  “He is a Witch doctor that lives down in the poorer area of town.”

 

“Witch doctor?”  I asked.

 

“It’s Voodoo.”  Regina stated.  “This is a whole new ball game.  The Loa are not something to take lightly.  And the Shadow Man is not an easy man to find when you want to find him.”

 

“Ruby found Granny unresponsive this afternoon.  She couldn’t smell a person but she sensed a lot of magic around her.”

 

“I don’t know, but We have to find that bokor... and fast.”  Regina said as she turned off the stove.

 

* * *

**August 19, 2015**

* * *

 

Regina Sat in front of Doc Facilier.  Her expression in a grim line.  she didn’t like dealing with the man.  With good reason too.  I was tired though tired of playing around and I wanted answers so I wrapped my magic around him like twine and squeezed.  “Just WHAT is it that you owe your friends on the other side Shadow Man.”  I said getting really close to his face.

 

“Emma…”  Regina said in a warning tone.

 

“Regina… this  is gone on too far. It’s not Just Granny, it’s Ashley and Killian and Robin…”

 

“And your father, I know, but this isn’t helping.” Regina said.

 

I was through.  My anger had ebbed and flowed straight to deep depression now. Magic loosened up on the man and he gasped in relief. “I owe darkness. Conflict rage.  it’s what they eat Sheriff.  As long as someone needs the Voodoo.  Shadow man will provide it.”  He looked at Regina.

 

“Ashley was a victim of a woman who wanted a child and could have none.  Granny’s repressed wolf was taken from her. Killian and Robin harbored great hatred or pain or somethin’.  And the prince… well… he had a remarkable amount of guilt.”

 

I sighed… I was done listening to him but before I could do anything, Regina raised her hands and The shadow man disappeared.  “Where…”

 

“He’s locked up.”  She said.  “We have to figure out how to contain the shadows.”

 

“Didn’t we do this with Pan?”  I asked.

 

“The Loa are demons, not true shadows.”  Regina said walking back behind the desk.  She sat back and reached for something in her desk drawers.  “How are you feeling?”

 

I sighed and sat in one of her visitors chairs.  “I’m just… so drained.”  I whispered.

 

“I need you to do something for me.” She said softly.  I looked up at her and she placed a brown paper bag on the desk.

 

“What?”

 

“I want you to promise me you haven’t been with anyone but me for the past month.”  She said softly.

 

I looked at her frowning.  “You doubt me?”  I asked

 

“Not really, I’m just confused about something.”

 

“Like what?”  I asked.

 

“You’re sick all the time.  Like really sick, and you’re moody… and your body… It’s Incredible.”  She said.

 

“I can’t believe we are discussing this again!  I am not pregnant Regina.  I can’t be.”

 

“But you can be…” She insisted.

 

“That is really one part of having sex with a woman I don’t really have to worry about Regina.”  I said folding my arms over sore breasts.

 

“But it is something that you have to worry about when you sleep with a sorceress…”  Regina intoned.  She pushed the bag toward me.  “Take the test Emma.”

 

I sighed.  she has been asking me to do it for almost a week.  I stood up and snatched the bag off of the desk.  “Fine!”   I walked toward the door with the bag in my hand.

 

“Where are you going?”  She asked.

 

“It’s time to get Henry, I’ll see you later at Granny’s.”  I said reminding her of family dinner.

 

“I want to be there Emma,”  She said as I reached for the doorknob.  I knew she would want to. but I wasn’t planning on taking the stupid test.  I knew I was pregnant.  I knew she was right, I just didn’t understand how this was happening.

 

“Okay.”  was all I said and walked out of the door.

 

* * *

 

I met Henry at the school gates and gave him a hug.  “How was your day?”

 

“Pretty good,”  He answered, then reached for the paper bag I was holding under my arm.  “What’s that?”

 

“Hey,”  I said snatching the bag back.  “No snatching kid, your mom taught you better than that.”

 

“I was just curious.”  He said.

 

“One day your curiosity is going to kill you.”  I mumbled.  “Trust me, some things you just don’t want to see.”

 

“Is it like lady products?”  He asked.  “Cause I’ve seen those.”

 

“Sort of.”  I answered, and began to cross the street when I noticed a shadow flutter across.  I gave Henry the bag and Ran toward where I saw the shadow run.  “Text your mom.”  I said to him as I blasted the Loa with my magic.  The lightness of it made it screech and release Leroy’s shadow.

 

It vanished and I stopped to breathe.  I got incredibly dizzy and everything went black.

 

* * *

 

I woke up in the emergency room.  Regina sighed in relief when I groaned.  “The hell happened?”

 

“You over exerted yourself.”  Regina said.  I opened my eyes and met hers.  “you knew…”

 

I reached for her hand.  “Not for sure.”  I said softly, “So… how do you feel?”

 

“The truth?”  She asked, her eyes changing to something I had never seen in them. She shook her head and took a deep breath.  “I’m ecstatic.”

 

I smiled, “Yeah?”

 

“yes… “  she said with a watery laugh.  “I love you.”

 

My heart felt as though it would burst.  The weeks I have been feeling all this love for her, and now I knew how she felt.  “I love you too.”

 

She laughed.  “I know… Or else you wouldn’t be here.”

 

“Oh,”  I said, then I looked at her in shock.  “OH! My mom is going to kill me.”  She laughed again and leaned forward to kiss my lips.  

 

* * *

**August 26, 2015**

* * *

 

I felt like I was throwing up my entire life, as Regina rubbed my back.  We were in the woods after the Shadow man had been dragged away by the Loa. “What the hell was in that salad you gave me?”  I asked her.

 

“Lettuce.”  She deadpanned as she tugged at my hair.  She handed me a bottle of water and I washed my mouth out.  “It’s called morning sickness for a reason Emma.”

 

“It’s not morning.”  I muttered  taking a deep breath.

 

Regina looked at her watch.  “It’s one a.m.”  

 

I sighed.  I was bone tired. “Where did the shadows take him?”

 

Regina shrugged as we got back down to business.  “I don’t know… right now my concern is that his debt was cancelled and all of our people are back where they belong.”

 

I nodded,  “Let’s get to the hospital then.”

 

She took my hand and poofed us away.  Landing us at the hospital.  we rushed to the ward where we were keeping our shadow victims, and I saw my dad just coming out of his stupor.  I let go of Regina’s hand and rushed to my parents who were embracing.  They wrapped their arms around me.  “I’m so glad you’re okay.”  I said.

 

“Me too.”  He said. He looked me over.  “You look exhausted.”  

 

I nodded, “I am, but I’m still on duty.”  Just then I heard Regina’s heel’s click behind me.

 

“I believe the report can wait til morning Sheriff, how about you allow your deputies to take over.”  Regina said.

 

I knew she was being protective of the baby, but still.  Ruby had her Granny to think about, and my dad… well he just came back.  There was no way I could do that.

 

“Regina’s right Emma, you’ve been up for almost 48 hours.”  Mom said.  

 

Hook and My dad both looked in my direction.  “Hook and I can watch the station for the night.”  I looked at my dad dubiously.  Hook’s eyes were shocked and I knew Dad has been wanting to have some words with the pirate.  I held my hands up.

 

“Dad you just woke up… both of you.”  I said.

 

“That means we have both had more sleep than you.”  He said.

 

I sighed and nodded.  “Okay, I’m just gonna go to Regina’s so I can check on Henry.”  I said then looked at Regina.  “Is it okay if I crash at your place?”

 

Regina nodded,  “sure.”  

 

I waved at my parents as Regina put a hand on my shoulder and poofed us out of there.

 

* * *

“So the two of you are dating?”  Mom said as Regina and I sat like teenagers on the couch.

 

“Yes.”  Regina said

 

“How long has this been going on?” Mom said turning to me.

 

“It’s so new mom, just a little over a month.”  I said.  “We weren’t ready to tell the world yet.  We’re adults, it’s what adults do.”

 

Mom sighed and sat down on the chair on my right side. “Yes, but… When I asked you to sit for your brother so that I could see your dad before his shift got busy, you didn’t tell me you had plans.”

 

“I always have plans on Wednesdays.”  I answered.

 

“I simply told her that we would have dinner here at your loft instead of at mine.”  Regina answered.

 

“Where’s Henry?”  She asked as our thirteen year old boy walked in the door.

 

“I went on an ice cream run.”  He said.

 

“YES!”  I said and jumped off the couch and walked toward my son taking the ice cream from his hands.  “Where’s the Doritos?”  I asked inspecting the bag.

 

Henry cringed.  “Ugh, you were serious?”

 

“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.”  I said and moved over to see if maybe I had any left.

 

“Emma!”  Mom said coming to the kitchen island.  “That’s disgusting.”

 

Regina sighed and walked to the kitchen and the three of them watched as I dipped the nacho cheese Doritos into my pistachio ice cream.  The expressions on their faces were classic.  “I see I will have to teach you what a proper snack is.”  My girlfriend said her brows furrowed.

 

“Like kale chips?  No thank you.”  I said and put a cream covered chip into my mouth.

 

She shuddered and looked away and turned to mom instead.  “Snow, I want you to know I care deeply for your daughter, and will do my best by her always.”

 

Mom bit her lower lip and shook her head.  “I’m not telling David, You’re doing that.”

 

“Dad will be cool with it.”  I said around a mouthful.  “A lot cooler than you were.”

 

Mom snorted. “Emma, you little daddy’s girl…”

 

“I’m not a daddy’s girl.”  I protested.

 

Henry laughed.  “Yeah ma, ya are.”

 

I looked at my son, then at Regina who only looked down at her hands.  “Oh come on!  I just got a dad, I don’t think I have him that wrapped up do I?”

 

“Emma… You know what today is?”  Mom said leaning forward on to the island.

 

“Uh… Wednesday?”

 

“It’s the date that we met in the Enchanted forest.”  Mom said.  Regina covered her face.  “do you know where my husband is?”

 

“Working?”  I answered.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because… I asked him to, I have a family day on Wednesdays…”

 

“And I miss my True Love anniversary because my baby girl has a date with her girlfriend.”  Mom finishes off matter-of-factly.

 

I dropped my chip on the plate, I was no longer into the Doritos and ice cream.  I looked at my girlfriend, and she sighed.  “Come along Henry, I think it’s time for bed.”

 

“Yeah,”  Henry said coming over to me for a hug. I kissed the top of his head, then walked with both of them to the door.  

 

Once the door was closed, Regina pulled me closer and kissed me.  I wrapped my arms around her neck and moaned a little. “I see you in the morning.”  I whispered

 

“We have to tell them soon, you shouldn’t do overnights.”  Regina whispered to me.

 

“Yeah, I will.”  I said.

 

“We will.”  She said and gave em one last kiss before heading for her car.  I headed down the stairs and into my car and drove straight to the station.

 

“Hey, Emma”  Dad said getting up to hug me as I walked in.

 

“Go home… why didn’t you tell me it was your anniversary?” I asked.

 

“Shit, it’s what?”  He said and covered his face.

 

I laughed,  “My god I interrupted my date because mom said it was your true love anniversary or something.”

 

He groaned.  “That’s not till next year.  We got married two months after we met.”

 

“That Bitch!”  I said in shock.

 

“Emma!”  

 

“She played me!” I said to the window.  “I could have been with--”

 

“Wait,”  He interrupted me, “You’re seeing someone?”

 

I sighed.  “Yes.”  I answered.

 

“Didn’t you just like break up with Hook a couple of days ago?”  He asked.

 

“That was over a month ago dad.”  I said sitting on the desk.

 

“Well, who is he?  I need to meet him.”

 

“Whoa daddy… back up.”  I said and blushed at the use of the word daddy.  He smiled.  “First off, it’s a she,  and you’ve already met her.”

 

“Ruby?”  He said confused.  “I’ll kill her.”

 

“Really dad?”  I said.  “I’m thirty one years old.”

 

“Ruby is not good enough for you…”

 

I let my jaw drop.  “Says who?”  I said indignantly.  “Ruby is perfect for me, the person I choose is always perfect for me and not you or anyone else can tell me otherwise.”

 

“You’re right… I just… she really gets around.”  He said

 

“Right, well relax, because it’s not Ruby.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Regina,”  I said and he tensed.  “I love her dad, like true love.”

 

He looked at me in the eyes, then he nodded.  “Congratulations.”  He said softly in my ear as he pulled me in for a hug.  “It makes perfect sense really.”

 

I pulled away to look in his eyes.  “Really?”

 

“Like your mom and I.”  He said simply.  “Princess and the shepherd, the Evil Queen and the Savior.”

 

I smiled at him, and we talked for a while there at the station.

 

* * *

 

I materialized later that night at the foot of my girlfriend’s bed.  “I thought you were working,”  was all she said looking up from her book.

 

“I thought you’d be sleeping,”  I answered.

 

“I was waiting for the inevitable text,”  she said putting her book away.

 

“I got played Regina.”  I said crawling into bed with her.  She chuckled and wrapped her arms around me kissing my temple.

 

“Well, I wasn’t sure… but I thought that whole excuse was kind of fishy.”

 

“I gotta get her back.”  I said

 

Regina laughed.  “Why don’t you just tell her you’re pregnant?  That’s certain to make her head explode.”  I laughed right along with her and kissed her softly.  

 

“Thank you.”  I said.

 

“For what?”  she asked stroking my arm with her fingertips.

 

“For tonight, for not setting fire to my mom.”  she laughed and just lay there silently as we drifted off to sleep.

 

 


	3. September

** September 2, 2015 **

* * *

****  
  


I woke up at the loft that morning, It was my week with Henry, and Regina had been a little standoffish with me the past few days.  Which I suppose could mean it’s that time of the month.  Though the last month she hadn’t been like that with me.  Either way I missed her, and resented that she had pulled away from me.

I rolled out of bed, and my stomach roiled.  I could hear Henry and Mom talking in the kitchen.  The smell of her coffee making me ill  I ran into the bathroom as fast as I could without raising any suspicions.  I emptied my stomach which wasn’t hard there hadn’t been much that I had been eating.  There was a knock at the door.  “Emma, is everything alright in there?”  Mom asked on the other side.

“Uh…”  I said taking a few gasping breaths.  “Yeah… getting ready to shower.”

“Okay…”  mom said hesitantly.  “Um, breakfast is ready I made extra Eggs and Bacon this morning.  Since you’re here and not at Regina’s”

“Thanks,” I said a blush coming to my face as I looked at myself in the mirror.  I know mom can’t see me.  but just her knowing when I spend the night at my girlfriend’s house and just what I might be doing there embarrassed me.

Not that it mattered right now, she wasn’t talking to me.  I decided that I was going to be upset about that.  I am the mother of her children she isn’t allowed to just stop talking to me.  I felt a flash of anger run through me, and I know it is a mood swing, but damn it I am entitled to it.  Morning sickness sucks!  I stepped into the shower and quickly washed myself.  I did want to eat breakfast with Henry before Mom took him to school with her.

I walked into my room  and pulled out my clothes.  It was still so hot out, so I grabbed a tank and a button down shirt then I pulled on my jeans and they wouldn’t go past my hips.  “What?”

I tugged at the offending clothing and finally got them up past my hips but couldn’t get them buttoned.. I’m a freaking blimp.  I’m only a few weeks in?  why is this happening right now? I’m already hating pregnant life.  I hated everything actually.  These were my favorite jeans..  I frowned and pulled the stupid shirt over my unzipped jeans. the dumb part was,  that I didn’t even have a stupid belly.  I was just thicker than I had been. I had a few more curves than I was used to and now I couldn't wear my favorite clothes.  “I gotta hit the gym.”  I mumbled to myself.

I stomped into the kitchen and served myself some breakfast as the Kid talked to me about stuff.  I couldn’t tell you what it was because I was still steamed about not being able to wear my Jeans the right way.  “So are we going to Mom’s or granny’s tonight?”

I looked up at him.  “What ?”

“For family dinner.”  He said standing up and grabbing his bag.  I looked around the room and saw that Mom had Neal all ready in Granny’s arms, and they were heading out.

“Oh… I don’t know, ask your mom, let me know what she says.”  I answered and lifted a forkful of egg to my lips.

“Are you two still fighting?”  He asked, just as the smell of egg reached my nostrils and my stomach rolled disgusted.  I gagged, but I put the fork down and swallowed back the retch.

“We’re not fighting.”  I said taking in a huge gulp of air.  I pushed the plate away from me slightly.  “Go on,  your grandma is waiting for you.”

The pain intensified, and was glad Mom and Henry had left, because just as the door closed, I ran to the bathroom and expelled whatever was still in my stomach.  I rinsed my face and mouth , then headed back out to go to work.  “Where do you think you are going?”  Granny said.  I stopped and turned toward the voice at the kitchen island.

“Uh… work?”  I answered taking another step toward the door.

“Not without eating first you aren’t.”  Granny said placing some saltine crackers and a big glass of water on the table.

I sighed and picked up a cracker.  “How did you guess?”

“You smell different,”  Granny said.  “Congratulations Princess.”

I cringed at the use of my useless title.  “Yeah well I don’t remember it being this awful.”

“You were a whole hell of a lot younger the last time.”  She answered.  I sighed and ate the cracker and I did feel a whole lot better.  She took out some cheese and cut some squares for me and put them on the plate so that I could eat the crackers.  “So… Who is the lucky one this time?”

“You mean you can’t tell by my smell?”  I scoffed

“Don’t be fresh.”  She scolded… “The only one I smell on you is the Mayor, and last I heard, she didn’t come with the equipment required….”

I shrugged.  “We are not ready to tell anyone  about the baby… Okay?”  I said looking at her pointedly.

“But… how?”  She asked shocked.

“She is a sorceress.”  I said nonchalantly, “and so am I.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”  she said as I took a bite of cheese and cracker.

I nodded and chugged my water.  “Later granny.”  I said I waved at little bro who was in his playpen and exited the loft.

* * *

 

The morning was a little slow.  I sat at the precinct kind of glad about it because I was still a little pissed at my girlfriend for being so insensitive to me.  I got a text at around nine.  

_**Love: Don’t forget your appointment at noon.** _

__

I looked at the text and grunted. I shoved my iphone in my back pocket and went on the internet to search for something when Killilan walked into the station. “Swan…”

I froze wondering what he wanted.  “Look… there’s nothing--”

“I think you have to see this.”  He said.  Immediately I followed him.  We ran toward the docks as out in the harbor a big orange… bubble? floated on the water.

“Where…”  I trailed off and realized that the bubble was actually a peach.  A Peach?

“A portal opened up and the peach exploded out like a cork.”  Killian stated.  I looked around the dock.  There were just a handful of people here.  the entire town would know before long.

“Please help me keep the town away from here till I know what is happening.”  I said and walked closer to the fruit.  At the top, I could see a little burrow, and I remembered I had read this story as a child.  “James and the giant peach was not a fairy tale… was it?”  I asked myself  as the fruit collided with the pier.  The docks rattled at the impact and the Peach fell apart completely at the contact.

I saw it happen.  Someone with long black hair dropped into the water.  They were unconscious.  I Jumped in swimming toward the unconscious kid.  because hell Wasn’t James like Henry’s age?  I pulled the body to me. but it wasn’t a boy, but a girl with fine Asian features.  I pulled her to the dock and Killian helped me bring her up on shore.

We laid her down and began to perform CPR, “Someone call the ambulance!”  I said, beginning chest compresses.  It didn’t take long.  The girl sputtered and coughed just before the ambulance and Regina came bounding up to us in the sand.

“Emma!” she said in shock as I held the shivering child to my chest.  “What is going on?”

I looked up at her startled.  “Well… There was this peach, and this girl was in it and it kind of just disintegrated and she  fell in the water, and I …”

“You jumped in after her?  What were you thinking?”  She said indignantly.

I turned to her as the paramedics took the child from my arms. “I was thinking the kid was drowning.”  I said with my brow furrowed.

“Did you get my text messages?”  She asked pulling me aside.  

“About the appointment yeah, I got it.”  I said putting my hand on my back pocket and realized that my phone had been with me in the water.  I pulled it out.  The thing was completely dead.  “Crap.”

Then I remembered I was mad at her. “How could you put your lives at risk like that?”

“Now you care?”  I railed and turned to walk away toward the Precinct.  I needed to grab the cruiser so I could go question the girl.

“What is that supposed to mean?”  She asked keeping up behind me.  I felt a brief wind envelop me and I looked down my clothes were dry.

“It means that you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder for almost four days, and I feel like you just cast me aside.  Just another thing you own.  I’m carrying your baby, I’m sick and I’m fat.  and I’m angry at you!”

As I ranted, I saw how she softened.  Her annoyance with what I did not quite so evident.  She reached out and held me.  Tightly.  “I love you, I don’t want to own you.  You are beautiful to me.  You are by no means fat…”  the last she said with a bit of a chuckle.  “you are absolutely stunning, you don't know just how beautiful..”  She leaned back to look in my eyes and pushed some hair behind my ear.  “I’m sorry I have been inside my head lately, and I will try not to block you out anymore.  She kissed my cheek as she held my face between the palms of her hands.

I fell on to her and hugged her.  I put my head on her shoulder reveling in her embrace.  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”  I cried.

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Emma,”  She whispered stroking my hair.  “youre just pregnant.”

I chuckled a watery chuckle and pulled back.  “It’s almost time for your appointment dear.”

“Yeah, um… We’ll go, then I’ll go check on the Kid.”  I said letting her go.

* * *

 

“So it looks like you are about seven weeks along, more or less.”  The midwife said.  I was so glad it wasn’t Whale because I am so skeeved by him normally.

“Okay…”  I said trying to count back.  Regina leaned back in her chair and I could tell she had been doing the same.  She quirked an eyebrow then blushed as she clearly remembered what I have just figured out.  Our first time, our first night.

“The heart rate is great.  Don’t worry about your plunge off the dock this morning will not affect your baby.  As a matter of fact, a fair amount of exercise will make delivery much easier.”  The midwife pulled her gloves off.  I wiped my belly off of that gel and took the print out of our little bean shaped baby from Regina and smiled.

“Thank you Shirley.”  Regina said standing up and shaking her hand.

“You are welcome, it isn’t every day I get the honor of caring for the Savior.  A magical baby between the Savior and the Queen is something extraordinary.  We will have to monitor it closely as there isn’t much precedent, but everything seems normal.

I nodded.  “Yeah, Thanks again.”  I looked over at Regina  and said.  “I’m gonna go see about that Kid.”

“I’m coming with you.”  Regina said. and followed me out of the room.  We walked in silence for a bit until she said.  “I’m sorry I over reacted.”

I looked at her.  “Why are you… Never mind.”  I said.  “We’re here anyway.”

I walked into the room and the little girl was sat on the hospital bed.  I smiled.  “Hi… I’m Emma and this is Mayor Mills… What’s your name?”

The girl looked at the both of us then she trained her grayish eyes on me.  “Momotaro…”

* * *

 

**September 9, 2015**

* * *

 

### “MMM…”  Regina moans as my hands do their work on her body.  It’s intoxicating the sounds she makes when we are together like this. She sighs, her voice going higher, as I can feel her muscles tensing around me.  I bite at the sid e of her right breast as  I begin to move faster inside her.  “Oh, Emma”  she moans just a little louder as her hips begin to buck into my hand in a primal need for me to fill her.  I slid a third finger into her  and licked my way down to her center when I heard a knock on our bedroom door.  I paused.  “Don’t you dare stop!” she growled.

 

“Moms?”  Henry question from the other side of the door, and I began to work in earnest.

“Oh Fuck…”  she whispered even though she knows she can be as loud as she wants and Henry wouldn’t know the better. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.”

So I kept going and sucking and licking and pumping until finally I felt her inner walls grip my fingers tightly. “So, Momo and I are walking to Granny’s to get breakfast before her first day of school.”  Henry said from the other side.

“Don’t they need to see you first.”  That was Momotaro who was staying with us temporarily.  I kissed Regina’s thigh and slid out of bed reaching for her dressing gown as she wrapped herself up in the sheets.

“They are probably busy, doing… it.”  Henry was saying as I opened the door.

“We do need to see you first.”  I said.  Momo looked at me and then at Regina and blushed.  She looked away from us then to Henry and put her head down unconsciously stepping away from him.  I quirked a brow.  “Have a good day at school do you need money?  Better yet tell Ruby to bill me when I get in there later today.”

“Okay Ma… Bye mom.”

“Goodbye Henry, goodbye Momotaro.”

“Good bye.”  she said timidly and I watched the two of them walk downstairs.

“Of course she likes him, they are thirteen and both super cute.” I mumbled closing the door.

“She can’t stay here.”  Regina said as I sunk down on to the bed next to her.

“We will find a permanent home for her.  If her parents aren’t here.”  I said.

“It has been a week.  You would think they would have come forward if they were here.”  Regina said getting closer to me and cuddling closer. She kissed my shoulder then my neck.  “I have half a mind to call off and stay with you here today.”

I chuckled.  “Do it.”

“No!”  She laughed and straddled me.  She kissed me long and thoroughly.  Her hands finding her mark as kissed me.  When I was done,  she kissed me once more and said.  “ I’m late to council.”

I pulled my fingers through her hair. “But I thought you were sick in bed?”

“One of us has to be ready to work, and you deserve a day off.”  She said and slid out of bed heading toward the shower.  I sighed and lay back  on the bed falling into a pleasant sleep.

* * *

 

I walked into Granny’s just after the lunch rush “Hey Em.”  Ruby said wiping down a table.

“Hey Rubes.” I said sitting at the counter, “I’ll get my usual and the bill.”

“Nope.. Regina called ahead and asked me to change your order to a Caesar Salad.”

“She what?”  I asked my mouth agape.

“Said something about  you eating all sorts of crazy things, and that you needed food that will give you energy for the day.”  Ruby continued.  I groaned as she put the salad in front of me.  “She did give one concession. you can get any milkshake you want.  Then she paid for it and  Henry and Momo’s breakfast and left.”

I sighed and looked down at my salad.  I grabbed the salad bag and headed out of the door.  “I’ll be back for that shake.”

I didn’t bother with my car I teleported straight into her office.  She was standing at her desk.  Some old guy sitting on one of her visitors chairs.  I caught her mid sentence.  I dropped the salad wordlessly on her desk.  I glanced to the old guy, and he shot up out of his seat.  “We will continue this  tomorrow morning Tom.”

“Certainly Madame Mayor.”  He said and left.

I turned to my girlfriend.  “You said I w--”

“You are not.  I’m just trying to take care of your and our baby’s health Emma.”  Regina said.

“I don’t want Salad!”  I yelled.  “Last time I went through this, I had monster cravings it was bad Regina… but I couldn’t eat what I wanted.  It was torture.  I spent the whole nine months eating what and when I was told.  I will not go back to that.”

Regina dropped back into her chair. “I- I ‘m sorry.”

**  
  
**

I hadn’t realized that I had been comparing this to Henry and how it was then.  I was infinitely more happy now than I was then. I sighed and sat in the chair Tom had vacated.  I opened the container with the salad and dug in without a word.

Regina smiled as she watched me..  “Have you eaten?”  I asked.  She shook her head.  “Wanna share?”

She moved around and sat  next to me.  I stabbed a bit of chicken and lettuce and fed it to her.  I smiled as she chewed.  “So I’m forgiven?”

I looked her over, “ What would you do to earn forgiveness?”

She smiled  and went down on her knees in front of me.  her hands coming up my thighs.  “I am prepared to beg.”  She said.  “I didn’t realize the restrictions you went through the last time.  I should have understood this sooner.”

I put down the fork and container and leaned forward and kissed her  Slowly her hands moved up my back and tangled in my hair. “Regina I’ve been wai--” It was Dad’s voice at the door.  I laughed silently as Regina rested her forehead against mine with a smile.

“Yes Sheriff, But your superior came in your stead and took care of the problem.” She looked at Dad and stood.  “Frankly she interrupted my last meeting.”

“Sorry.” I said getting up to join my father. “See you at dinner.”

* * *

**September 16, 2015**

* * *

 

I got out of my cruiser and made a beeline to the station.  “Emma!”  I heard from behind me, and I turned to see that it was mom.  walking toward me.

“Hey,”  I said and turned back toward the station.

“Are you at lunch yet?”  She asked as she reached me.

“Just about to head over to Granny’s in a bit.”   I said still trying to get past her and into the station.  I had to pee so bad.

“I’m headed there now too, walk with me.”  She said taking my arm and leading me away from the station.  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“No… Mom… seriously I really have to go.”  I Said turning back to the station.

“Oh… oh of course.”  she said letting me go, as I ran into the station and straight into the bathroom.  She was standing at the door when I stepped out.  I smiled at her and walked around her to get to my desk.  “You didn’t have lunch plans did you?”

“Mom you’re clinging.”  I said e-mailing Regina a quick note.

_**Babe,** _

__

_**See you at dinner tonight.  MM is clinging and wants to have lunch.** _

__

_**Save me if you can,** _

__

_**Emma** _

__

“I mean I don’t want to mess up your plans.”  She said.

“It’s lunch.”  I said  as I stood.  I received a text and I reached for my phone to read it. “Let’s go, I can always eat.”

_**Love: How can I save you from your own loving well meaning mother.** _

__

_Me: I’ll let you know_

__

It wasn’t ten minutes after we got to the diner.  She had been babbling about Neil and all the cute little baby things he was doing.  I know I am a grown woman , and I shouldn't get jealous of a toddler.  But I didn’t get all of this.  I didn’t get my mother's praises over things normal babies did.  “I have to go pee.”  I said getting up from our booth.

“You just went at the station, our food isn’t even here.”  Mom said.

“Yeah well, I have to go again.”  I said.  I wasn’t lying I had to go.  This kid was doing a number on me, I couldn’t wait till it started tap dancing on my bladder.

When I got out of the stall Mom was waiting for me by the sink.  “I thought you were lying.”  She said looking at me in shock.

“Why would I lie about needing to go?”  I asked.

“Because…”  she sighed.  “Emma, I know I was going on and on about Neil.  I can’t help it, it’s all just …”

“I know… I get it.”  I really did.  My last pregnancy I had been numb.  I didn’t want to notice the changes in my body.  I don’t remember having to pee quite so much.  I don’t remember feeling sick quite as much.  I got to indulge in my cravings when I felt like it, and I didn’t have to answer to a mess hall, and eat really gross things.  I was enjoying this.

“I want to spend a little time with you if that is okay?”  Mom said.

“I live in your house.”  I said.

“Every other week, and even when you’re home, something is always going on.”

“Can we talk about this not in the bathroom?”  I said turning to head back to the dining room.

“Emma… I’m trying to reach out.”

“I get it.  Yes we’ll do something.”  I answered.

“Dinner tonight?”  she asked.

“It’s wednesday.”  I answered.  “We’re doing lunch.”

She looked past me and frowned.  “Yeah I guess, but…”

I turned to look at the door as the bell rung.  my heart began to race and I understood why she thought this wasn’t going to be enough.  Regina didn’t approach us though.  She looked at my mother, then at me.  I moved my head imperceptibly and turned back to my mother.  “She will leave us alone.”

Snow smiled at Regina then looked at me. and began talking again.

* * *

 

I got to dinner late.  So late the lights were off and Regina was already in bed.  I knocked impatiently, I needed to go to the bathroom.  I pushed past her when she finally opened the door and headed straight to the bathroom. “You need to tell them.  you have to keep better hours.”  she said

“It’s too soon.”  I said and closed the door to the bathroom behind me.  I pushed my pants down past my hips.  “Ugh I have to go shopping already.”

“The maternity clothes in Storybrooke are dismal.”  she said, “we should make a shopping trip to Portland.”

“I don’t know Regina, I can’t afford the things you like.  I’d be happy to find some pajama jeans and some big button ups.”

“You can find that here… No.” she said through the door.  I sighed and looked down at my underwear.  I saw something that scared me.  I reached out and unlocked the bathroom door.

“R’gina are you still there?”  I said

“Yes dear.”  she said "I was just about to go warm up your dinner."

“Come in here a minute.”  I said and she opened the door.

She took in my face and came closer.  “What is it?”

“There is blood…”  Her eyes widened and she looked me over everywhere except where the blood was.  I wiped and there was a trace of blood on the paper.

“Emma… “  she gasped and turned to leave the room.  When she came back she gave me a pad and she was on the phone.  “it’s just a little bit.”

I put it on I didn’t want to look. “Please be okay.”  I whispered putting my hand on my still flat belly.

“Okay Shirley.  Thank you.”

I looked over at her and asked as I flushed the toilet. “What did she say?”

“She said a little spotting is normal at this stage, you shouldn’t worry too much, but that we should go in to the hospital and have a doppler make sure the baby’s heart rate is okay.”

I nodded and she took me by the hand  and we teleported to the hospital.

**  
  
**

* * *

### September 23, 2015

* * *

**  
  
**

### This was really weird.  Like really weird.  I blushed as I dressed for the day.  I could feel Regina’s eyes all over me.  She and Henry were staying with me at the loft, because a pipe... well Henry was already with me, and a pipe burst  in Regina's house last night and she was letting it dry out.

 

At this point I think she could have just magicked that away, but she liked to watch me out of my comfort zone.  I peeked over my shoulder and saw her eyes  taking my underwear clad body in.  “What are you doing?”

“admiring the view.”  She said pulling the bed sheet up  over her breasts.

“You’ve seen all of it before Regina.”  I said pulling an old pair of skinny jeans on.  From when I was slightly bigger than I was.  It gives me a little extra room for the belly.

She groaned.  “Do you have any idea how stunning you are?”

I blushed yet again. “Oh Please…”  I said rolling my eyes and shrugging on a flannel shirt.  It was starting to get a little chilly out.

Regina rolled out of bed and padded over to  me  Her flowy silk nightgown making her look like a bride.  She wrapped her arms around my middle and kissed me softly. “You are even more beautiful today than you have ever been.”  she whispered.  then she twirled her wrist and changed her clothes she was ready to go.  “I don’t understand why you’re so self concious about a change in your body that has done nothing but good things for you.”

I chuckled, “You’re just mad because I wouldn’t have sex with you here in my parent’s loft.  You do realize there are no doors to this room and anyone of them, including our son could have walked up here at any moment.”

She rolled her eyes.  “That is the thrill of it dear.”  Then she gave me a wicked little grin.

 

I laughed and smacked her pretty little ass as she passed by me.  “Do not start something you will not finish.”  she growled.

I smirked, “we can finish in the interrogation room…”  I answered leading the way down the stairs.

* * *

 

Mom kept staring at me as we ate breakfast.  Henry and Regina were oblivious as they chattered on and on.  She narrowed her eyes at me as I pushed my eggs away and reached for juice instead.

Regina noticed I had reached for the orange juice and took it away from me.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea dear.”  She mumbled

“What?  Why?” I asked.

She leaned toward me and whispered.  “As good as that will feel going down, what if you are ill? Then  think about how that will feel coming up…”

I pushed the juice away.  “Can we go now?”

“Certainly…”  Regina said standing and Kissing Henry on his forehead.  “See you for family dinner tonight Henry.”

“Okay mom.”  He said, “Bye Ma.”

I repeated the actions of his mother, “Later Kid.  Bye mom.”

“Emma… Are you pregnant?”  She blurted.

I stopped in my tracks and looked up at my amused girlfriend.  “She’s done it twice dear…”

I looked over at our son who was staring in surprise.  Then I turned to look at my mother who had an equally elated and confused look on her face.  “With Hook?”

Both regina and I glared at her.  “It’s magic.”  I said.

“With Regina!?”  She said in a sort of happy exclamation and question at the same time.  She ran to both of us and hugged us fiercely.  “Oh my god!  I have to tell your Dad.”

“NO!”  Regina said…. “I… I ..”  

I looked at my girlfriend and giggled. “You afraid my daddy ‘s gonna hunt you down and kill you?”

She shifted uncomfortably.  “I’m not ready…”

“Look at her Regina, she’s gonna burst.  He’s her husband.”  I said signaling to my mother.

“I won’t say anything I get it… I’ll give you time… but I am so happy.”  Mom said.  I smiled and hugged my mother again.  

“Mom, I really got to go.”  I said.

“See you later.”  Snow said having taken that a lot better than I expected.  

Regina stepped out on the hallway and I looked at my girlfriend.  A burst of laughter escaped me.  “Oh hush you Daddy’s girl…”  She said walking ahead of me.

I bit my lip and followed her.  “I love you.”

“Yeah yeah…”

* * *

**September 30, 2015**

* * *

 

I stood naked in front of the mirror in Regina’s bedroom.  There it was, the tiny bulge at the bottom of my perfect abs.  I cringed as I took notice of the softer definition there.  “Stop frowning you’re beautiful.”  Regina said coming up behind me, almost as naked as I was.

I looked down at her flat stomach.  “It’s not fair that you’re 65 and get to look like that.”

“It’s not fair that you’re pregnant and you get to look like that, when your mom puffed up like a blow fish from her third month.”  She retorted turning away and picking up the pencil skirt she had laid out for herself.

I snorted and turned to grab my clothes on the bed.  “Really?”

“Second pregnancy was not as forgiving to her as the first…”  Regina said buttoning up her red silk shirt. “Then again, I really wasn’t around for the first as I was for the second.”

I pulled on my jeans… struggled with them actually and left them unzipped. “Why don’t we just go shopping?”

“Because… you just said I’m not fat.”  I spat.

She sighed rolling her eyes.  “I bought you some things…”

I looked at her.  “Things?”

“Clothes, go look in my closet.”  She said.  I turned and headed to her closet and eyed the clothes she had bought.  they weren’t hideous… they didn’t even look like maternity clothes.  reached for a sweater tunic and stretch skinny jeans.  “Do you like them?”

I looked at the price. “Fuck Regina these are--”

“Yours.”  She said.  “I would have rather you come with me to pick things you liked.”

“I love them.” I said.  She smiled brightly.  I flicked my wrist and switched the jeans I was wearing with the jeggings I had in my hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Better?”  she asked.

“Much…”  I answered.

“I can’t believe Mulan decided to take Momo in.”  Regina said

“They almost look like mother and daughter, and they got along well.” I said.  the two of us headed out of the master bedroom and toward the guest room in which Momotaro had been staying.

Regina knocked softly and opened the door.  she gasped as Henry untangled himself from the girl.  “Henry Daniel Mills!”

I groaned.  “Regina they were just making out.”

She turned to face me.  “Are you forgetting that he is your biological child?  With all the charming genes attached?”

I scoffed.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Making out is just the first step to--”

“Regina he’s a kid!”  I interrupted.

“Moms!... I  I… we weren’t.”

“The doors stay open whenever this girl is here…”  Regina seethed with clenched teeth.

I rolled my eyes. Yes no closed doors, but she was overreacting the kids are Thirteen years old, and Henry is pretty level headed.  “Come on Momo… your mom’s waiting for you at the diner.”  I said.

Momo smiled though she was still blushing pretty hard.  I knew the look of hope she had that someone may want her forever.  She looked at me and paused.  “What if she gets tired of me?”

I shook my head.  “that won’t happen.”

“But what if she does?”  she asked. Regina stood next to me and stroked the girls hair reassuringly.

“Then your bedroom doors come off their hinges and you live here with us.”  I laughed in spite of myself.  Henry turned incredibly red and Momo hid her face behind her hair.

“I’m sorry Mayor Mills.. It won’t happen again.”  Momo promised.

Henry’s head shot up.  “What?”  The two of us looked at him with raised eyebrows. “I mean… I still want to date her.”

Momo reddened.  “You‘d have to ask her mom if she is allowed to date…”  I answered.

He sighed.  “You, aren’t even allowed to date.” Regina answered.

“Come on Mom…”  He whined but was stopped short by just a look from Regina.

“Damn… I gotta learn how to do that.”  I said under my breath.

“Let’s go Momotaro.”  Regina said as the four of us descended the stairs and piled into Regina’s Mercedes.

**  
  
  
  
  
**

**_*** Fairy Tale:  Momotaro - A Japanese folktale. Adapted by Ronald Dhal in James and the Giant Peach._ **

  
  



	4. October

* * *

### October 7, 2015

* * *

I rubbed at my eyes as I read over some files at my desk.  Either I was really sleepy, or my eyes were clouding over.  I sighed and looked back at the screen when Dad walked into the station.

“Okay, spill.” dad said.

I looked up at him and frowned.  I had no idea what he was talking about. “Spill what?”

“That coffee is exactly in the same spot I left it when I dropped it off this morning.  and your face is telling me you're super tired.”

I had forgotten about that.  I looked at the cup and my mouth watered.  I was insanely desperate for it.  but at least I had managed to put it out of my mind.  “I’m just not in the mood for coffee right now.”

“Okay, how about how weird your mom acts around you?”  He asked.

“Weird?  Mom is weird.”  I said with a chuckle and leaned back on the chair keeping myself from picking up the cup of coffee.

Then I smiled because I heard my girlfriend walking into the station.  Dad frowned, he was fine with me dating Regina, but he hated watching us when we lost track of where we were.  Which was a lot. Not that I could blame him.  She stepped into the main room looking for something inside of her purse as she started to talk to me.  “Emma dear are you ready for our appointment with Shirley? I can’t wait to hear Bean’s-” Regina stopped abruptly as she realized Dad was in the room.

“You listen to beans?”  Dad said folding his arms across his chest.  “And what does that have to do with Shirley?”

Regina froze, then I chuckled and leaned back to see how she would handle this.  It was adorable that she felt intimidated by someone she called an idiot.   _“Enraged idiots are the most dangerous”_  she would say.  

She looked at me asking me to save her.  I sighed and turned to dad.  “Mom is going insane because she can’t tell you that I’m pregnant.”

Dad looked at me in shock.  “You’re what?”

“Yup, about twelve weeks now.” I said softly, “Thanks for the coffee dad, but next time get me some hot Cocoa.”

“Who?”  He asked,  “how?”  then he narrowed his eyes at my silent girlfriend. “Magic? REGINA!”

“David, think about it… I had to love her… like you love Snow for that to happen.”  she said quickly stepping back a little.

He stopped and covered his face.  He laughed a little then looked back at Regina.  “How much of an idiot do you think I am?”

Still unsure how she should answer that, Regina took a deep breath.  “I don’t… I don’t think--”

“Of course you do.  Congratulations Regina.” Dad said.

“I must say, Charming you put two and two together rather quickly.  I have to reevaluate my opinion of you.”  Regina stated relaxing a bit.

“Don’t push it.”  He said.

Regina turned to me and took a deep breath. “You ready?”

I nodded.  “You drive? My eyes  are blurry.”  I stood up and patted my dad on the arm.

“Yes of course.”  Regina said as she led me out of the building.

* * *

 

“Happy third month!  have a seat on the table sheriff.”  Shirley said as I did what she told me.  Let's do a little measuring.  I took a deep breath as she found the upper part of my pelvic bone, and measured the little bump to my belly button. “Right on track…”  Shirley said writing something on her pad.  “You said you had concerns about Emma’s eyes?”  she said turning to Regina.

I looked at her and furrowed my brows.  “Regina, that’s normal.”

“Is it?”  Regina asked Shirley.

“It is, it has something to do with the extra fluid in the saviours body. It thickens the lens in the cornea leaving her world just a little blurrier.”

“It will be back to normal when Bean is born.”  I said squeezing her hand.

“I just… I wish I knew all these things.”  She said

“tell you what, you have the next one.”  I  said with a grin.  Regina smiled and leaned down to kiss my lips.  It was like she was compelled to do it.

“I think I’m good…”  She mumbled.  I chuckled and pecked her lips once more before turning to the woman who was getting her doppler ready to listen to the baby’s heart.

“The two of you are so sweet.”

* * *

 

Was that an Earthquake?  Regina and I looked around the diner of shocked customers. The walls were still rattling from the shock.  Just as Regina and I decided to investigate, Leroy ran into the diner.  “There's an Ogre!”

My blood ran cold as I looked at Regina.  I moved to stand but she sat me down .  “What are you planning to do?”

“I don’t know, stop it?”  I said standing up.

“Wait… I know someone that can handle the Ogre.”  Regina said holding me back.

“I've fought an Ogre before.”  I said indignantly.

“Yes, but you weren’t pregnant.  Nor were you the love of my life then.”  Regina pulled out her phone and made a phone call.

“Who are you calling?” I asked

“An ogre slayer.”  She said putting the phone to her ear.  “Hello Nella?”

**  
  
**

* * *

### October 14, 2015

* * *

I hated Nella the moment I saw her.  She was this tall leggy blonde with deep blue brooding eyes. Sure, Regina was preoccupied with the whole Ogre thing, but still...

I watched as supermodel princess came closer to my girlfriend. Wait did she just... "Umm... Regina, I need your help a sec."

Regina looked up distractedly from whatever it was they were discussing. "Sure..." She walked away, and I watched as the blonde raked her eyes over Regina's body.

I lead the way to a secluded room in city hall as we had sequestered ourselves there to try to figure out how to rid the town  of the ogre. "Was there something you needed Emma?"

“Is there something you needed to talk to me about Emma?”  Regina said breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Did you and Nella ever…”  I asked.

“What are you asking me here.”  Regina said and I felt my stomach flipped.  She would have flat out denied it.

“Regina, You know what I am asking.”  I stated beginning to pace the room.

“Emma, you have only been alive for half my life… There was bound to be someone before…” So she admitted it.  I could feel the air leave my lungs. and I leaned against the the wall.  Regina came closer to me.  “Emma--”

“She wants you.” I interrupted

“What?”  Regina scoffs, then laughs a little.  Is-- is she flattered.  She is not allowed to be flattered by this.  She is mine!

“I saw her eyes practically devour you Regina…”  I cry out, almost whine and I hate the sound of my voice right now.

Regina reached out and pulled me closer, she was very good at keeping this place, the City hall untainted by us.  this was the professional space.  She was always a different person here.  She pulled me close and kissed my forehead and my cheeks.  “I love you!”  She put her hand on my little baby pooch. “And this little one is proof of that.”

“I know Regina, and I trust you, It’s Just her I don’t trust.” I answered.

“Good thing it isn’t her you have to trust.”  She retorted and let me go.  “Now come on we’re wasting precious time.”

“Yeah let’s get back to your ex, I mean it isn’t like she’s had experience killing an ogre before.”  I murmur following behind her.

“What was that dear?”  Regina asked turning her head.

“I said, that I  don’t even know why I’m here you won’t let me help.”  I said at a much louder voice.

“It should tell you something that I am more willing to sacrifice her than you.”  Was all Regina said and continued to head toward her office.

* * *

 

“EMMA!  Hold him fast with your magic!”  Nella shouted over at me.  I just… I had to get to Regina.  That stupid Ogre had knocked her across the street.  Nella just ignored everything.  “Emma Please!”

With an eye out for Regina I raised my hand and shot some magic on to the ogre.  Most of my mind focused on Regina and getting to her as soon as possible.  The ogre however reacted a bit differently to my magic.  He glowed.  Nella stopped and stared at what was happening.  I didn’t quite understand but for what I could see, the ogre was changing shape.

The force of the magic streaming over me brought me down to my knees and I could feel the strain.  But suddenly trapped in the stream was no ogre, it was a man.  An incredibly beautiful and naked man.  “Lorezo!”  Nella screams out.  “Stop Emma stop!”

I dropped my hand and Lorezo dropped to the floor. As he did, she ran to him and cried over him.  Then I felt a pair of arms around me.  “It’s her true love.  I turned him into an Ogre before bringing us here, because I wanted to ruin her happy ending.”

I turned toward Regina.  “That’s why you called her?”  She nodded.  “How are you feeling.”

“I’m getting to old for this.”  she answered and the two of us laughed as she held me tightly.

**  
  
**

* * *

### October 21, 2015

* * *

**  
  
**

###  _I’m so hungry I could eat a horse._ I thought as I woke that morning.  I stretched taking note at how not sick I felt. I looked around my room and poked at Henry who fell asleep in my bed the night before.  I didn’t have the nerve to wake him he is so cute when he’s sleeping.  Oh who am I kidding.  My kid is cute when he is awake.

 

“Hey kid, time to wake up your mom will kill me if you are late this morning.”  I said rolling out on my side of the bed.

“Five more minutes please ma?”  He mumbled.

“If you weren’t texting with your girlfriend half the night you’d be well rested kid.  Let’s go!”  I said   “Your grandma is probably waiting for you downstairs.”

He groaned and headed downstairs while I rummaged through my own clothes for something that may fit. Nothing did.  NOTHING.  I began to feel a little off but then I looked in the mirror and saw myself.  I saw myself the way the others saw me for a moment.  I was beautiful.  I mean, I didn’t recognize the face looking back at me so happy and content.  I was beautiful.

I couldn’t help but smile and looked down at the little baby bump.  My phone rang and I turned to answer knowing there was only one person who would call me this early in the morning.  All the emergency calls went to David now for some reason, and I have a feeling baby mama has something to do with that too. “Hey babe.”

“How did you sleep?”  She asked.  I could hear the smile in her voice.  she loved when I called her things.  special little things.

“Not as comfy as your bed.”  I murmured.  “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.  What are you doing right now?”   She asked her voice sounded almost like a purr.

“What are you doing?”  I asked suspiciously.

“Thinking about you… naked in bed… with me.”  I groaned.  Of all the weeks for me to have Henry…

“Well I am practically naked.”  I said teasing her.

a heavy breath came through the phone and she groaned.  “I really just needed to hear you.”

“Regina, It would be more fun if I were there wouldn’t it?” I asked.

“Infinitely so…” She gasped.  “I couldn’t wait until tonight.”

“Okay…”  I said trying not to work myself up over the sounds she was making.  I pulled the phone away from my ear and I could hear Henry having a conversation with mom.

“Will I see you at lunch today?”  She asked after she caught her breath.

“Maybe, if I could decide what to jam my body into.”  I said staring at my closet again.

“Wear the clothes I bought you Emma…”  She said softly.

“Isn’t it just too soon to be in maternity clothes?”  I asked.  I mean I just don’t really look that pregnant just fat and I’m afraid I’d look ridiculous in clothes made for pregnant women.

“Not if it will make you comfortable.”    Regina countered.  “I must go into the shower, I love you.  See you later?”

“Yeah, me too.”  I said distractedly picking up one of the very stylish blouses Regina had bought me. It was a plaid top, that went out at the waist just a bit, so that it would be form fitting to show off the bump once it was larger.  Then I grabbed my favorite new pair of skinny jeans, the ones Regina got me and headed down to shower.

Once I got down to the kitchen, there were all my favorite things to eat that I couldn’t eat before.  I grabbed a slice of bacon and bit into it and nearly died from pleasure I missed it so much.  Mom and Henry had been so busy talking they hadn’t noticed me come into the room but after a few minutes they stopped and stared at me.  “I see you’ve gotten your appetite back.”

“Yes!”  I moaned out as i ate more bacon.  Henry chuckled.

“Mom will have fun feeding you tonight for our dinner.”  He said.

I smirked thinking how much more fun she will likely have after dinner.  “You know what tomorrow is right?”  Mom said breaking into my dirty dirty thoughts.  I looked up at her hoping my lust wasn’t plain on my face.

“Thursday.”  I deadpanned.

“October 22,”  Mom said.

I groaned inwardly.  What does she want to do now.  “So?”

“So, do you have plans?” She asked.

“I’m hanging here with the kid for the night.”  I said.  Henry rolled his eyes. “Mom, it’s not a big deal.”

“It is, I missed 28  years of October 22 with you because of your girlfriend.”

“Because of you.”  I corrected.

“Because of her threats.  I don’t want to miss another.  You have Henry this week.  I hope that I can  see you both tomorrow so we can celebrate.”

I sighed. “Sure, Fine…”  I said with a shrug.

Mom smiled, “I have so much to do for tomorrow.”  She said excitedly.  “Come along henry lets get a head start on this day.

“Okay, Bye Ma.”  Henry says giving me a hug.  Then they were gone.

* * *

 

When I walked into City Hall, I saw Regina talking with Nella, and again my blood began to boil.  I understand that Nella has Lorenzo but that doesn’t dispute the fact that she once had Regina.  I walked closer, but Regina didn’t acknowledge me.  In my anger I hadn’t noticed Lorenzo standing next to Nella.  Regina had asked them to sign something and smiled brilliantly at them.

“Congratulations.”  She said to them.

They smiled at her and turned to each other and kissed.  Regina turned to her secretary and had her sign the document, then she saw me and smiled.  “Sheriff!  Will you be second witness for the marriage between these two?”  She asked.

That was why she called me over?  I smiled and reached my hand out.  I signed the paper.  “Congratulations.”  I said handing it back to the clerk for filing.

“Thank you.”  Nella said. and turned to walk out of the city hall.

Regina then turned to me and took my hand.  “Come, We have some things to discuss.”

I followed her into the office, and I hadn't so much crossed the threshold and she had closed the door behind me and pinned me to it.  I was not in the mood. “You never told me Nella’s story.”

“Mine and Nella’s?”  Regina asked looking up into my eyes.

“Her story…”  I said  “How she became an ogre slayer.”  

“Oh… wouldn’t you rather…”

“No.”  Regina was taken aback.  She looked a little rejected.  I was just not in the mood right now.

“Okay…”  She stepped back and sat behind her desk.  I sat in one of her visitors chairs and waited.  “Nella was a stunningly beautiful young princess, and she was having a secret affair with Lorenzo, who was a handsome prince who lived many miles away. The two lovers had built a glass tunnel that ran under the ground—from Lorenzo’s castle into the princess’s bedroom. and every night he would run  through the tunnel butt-naked at top-speed to ‘spend time’ with his princess.”

“Really, Naked?”  I said aghast.

“What can I say, Lorenzo’s kingdom is run by fools.”  Regina said with a shrug.

“SO then what happened?”  I asked.

“Then, Nella’s two sisters, who are ugly and evil, learned of the affair and smashed  the glass tunnel.”

“How did they find out?”  I asked.

“That is not important.”  Regina answered in clipped tones.

“Were you already with her?”  Emma asked.

“I had my eye on her… yes but not with her, no…” Regina admitted.

“Okay,”  I said urging her to continue.

“That night, Lorenzo ran through so fast to reach Nella, he didn’t see the broken glass, and because he is naked, the skin all over his body is sliced to ribbons.” Stated getting a far away look in her eye.  “The glass that cut him had been enchanted, so that his wounds would not heal.   And his idiot father vowed that the woman that could find the remedy for the enchanted wounds would be the prince’s wife.”

“the enchanted forest is full of insane people.”

“I suppose.”  She said.

“Obviously he survived, but what happened for him to be turned into a ogre?”

“Nella, heartbroken upon hearing of her mortally wounded prince,

came to me asking for help with the remedy.  I convinced her that I knew nothing of what would help and I seduced her and took her for myself instead.  Lorenzo lay bleeding for days.”  Regina said putting her face etched with remorse in her hands.  In one of our walks, I made an illusion appear for her.  I made two ogres appear in the woods as we walked and I hid us both behind a bush.  They had been talking and she overhears two ogres telling each other that the only thing in the whole world that will heal the prince is to smear the fat from their ogre bodies all over the prince.”

“But she was into you by then right, so it didn’t matter.”  I asked beginning to understand why Regina might have turned that prince into an ogre.

“No… Nella had resigned herself to loss and took comfort in me only.  I begged her not to go near the Ogres.  In fact I made them vanish.  Nella left in search of ogres after that leaving me behind, to hunt for more.”

“Oh,”  I said softly.

“Nella, pretended to be lost in the woods, and the ogres to let her into their house. The ogre husband, fancying a bit of human flesh, lets her in eagerly but sadly he drinks so much alcohol that he passes out before he gets to eat her.”

“She drank an Ogre under the table?”  I asked impressed.

“She plied him with alcohol dear, she did not partake.”  She corrected me and I rolled my eyes.

“Whatever.”  I answered.

“Nella quickly slaughtered him then collected all the fat from his body in a bucket.  She doned a disguise, by putting dirt all over her face and headed off to Lorenzo’s palace. She smeared the fat into Lorenzo’s wounds and he was magically healed, then she revealed her identity and the marriage is swiftly arranged. But it never happened.”  Regina said quietly.

“What happened to her sisters?”  I asked entrenched in the story.

“They are burned at the stake.”

“Yikes.”  I said and looked down at my watch.  break was over.  “Okay, see you at dinner tonight?”  She nodded and just sat there at her desk lost in thought. I just couldn’t leave, I had to know. “Why did you turn him into an Ogre?”

“Lorenzo was her happy ending… and she was an ogre slayer.  I couldn’t very well let an ogre roam the streets of storybrooke so I had put him to sleep.  It took him a long time to come out of his hibernate state after you broke the curse though, and I was wondering why that was so.”  Regina said.  Then looked into my eyes.  “I think we should look into that.”

“We?  Like you and me?”  I asked smiling slightly. “Am I now allowed to do my job?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes.  “I thought you understood.”

I came closer to her with a smile and I kissed her .  “I do, Thank you for caring so much.”  She kissed me again and both of us battled our impulse to stay like this and she let me go to work.

* * *

**October 28, 2015**

* * *

 

I kissed my girlfriend’s cheek and slid out of bed at around five in the morning. I had so much energy I needed to burn it.  so I pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and grinned at how slowly my things made their way to Regina’s.

She had given me a key, but we hadn’t decided on whether or not I should move in yet, and that was okay.  I think we both just like having our space.  But I guess we could both have our own space under the same roof.

I grabbed my keys and my iphone and started out at a jog.  I ran down to the park and around the pond.  I felt great, though my hips were doing things that felt a little strange.  But Shirley said the more I exercise the better it was for me and bean on labor day, so… I ran as much as I could.

My music was interrupted by a call as I ran, so I answered.  “Sheriff Swan”

“You’re breathless.”  Regina said.

“That’s what happens when you’re running.”  I answered.

“Why are you running?”  She asked.  “Are you being chased?”

“It’s called exercise, Regina.”

“Oh… I exercise.”

“You should join me sometime.”  I said.

“I do not run, If you ever see me running you should run as well as something is chasing me down.”  She deadpanned.  I laughed at her corny jokes.  “Besides, I can think of a more pleasurable exercise for us.”

I grinned as I stopped to walk at the bench now. “Well that’s exactly why I’m pregnant right now.”

She chuckled at the other end.  “Don’t wear yourself out dear, will I see you later today?”

“Yeah, I’m going to the Loft then I’ll be at granny’s for breakfast.”

“Great, Henry and I shall meet you there.”

“Cool..”  I said and began to jog again toward home. “See ya in a bit.”

It was six in the morning and everyone was just starting to stirr. Neal was fully awake sitting up in his crib.  He smiled at me and I picked him up.  “Hey buddy!”

Neil scrunched up his nose at me.  “Emm tinky” He said

It made me giggle.  “Yeah bud, I was exercising, I am a little stinky.”  I put him down on the floor so that he could terrorize the parents.  “Good morning Mom, Dad… “  I said heading up the stairs.

“Morning.”  They both grumbled at me.  I smirked and headed to the shower to start my day.

* * *

 

“What is this?”  I heard Regina’s voice as I did paperwork later that afternoon.  I looked up and she was holding a manila envelope aloft in her fingertips. “I came back from my morning meeting and this was on my desk.”

“Did you look at it?” I asked looking back down at the paperwork.

“I did, but why do you need it?”  She said tossing it onto my desk blocking what I was doing.

I sighed and looked up at her.  “Because, Regina something could happen to me, before or while I am having the baby and when it has already happened it's too late for me to set a Power of Attorney and a Living Will.”

“Don’t say it… Nothing will happen to you.” Regina said.  Her eyes taking on this frightened aspect that I hadn’t ever seen.  Of course she’s freaking out.  She has lost love so many times.

I got up and walked around my desk and took her into my arms.  “Of course not. but Babe it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

“I just…”  She started shaking her head.  “You’re right… It was just so unexpected.”

I kissed her softly. “I promise I won’t do anything that will put me in danger of leaving you.  Okay?” She nodded and I leaned forward to kiss her again and I swear I never felt that little bubble of gas coming I burped in Regina’s face just as I opened my mouth .

Regina jerked backward in surprise. I wanted to die where I stood.  This kid was making me so gassy.  I knew I was red as a tomato I turned away and covered my face in embarrassment.  “Oh my god Regina I’m so sorry.  It was an accident, it just slipped out I’m sorry.”

Regina was silent for a moment unable to speak.  I began to tear up.  I wanted so badly to cry. Her hands snaked around my body and she held me.  She kissed my neck.  “It’s alright.  I read… that… well, it’s normal.”

I cried and giggled at the same time.  “That is so not sexy.”

She chuckled in my ear and turned me around.  She lifted my chin so that she could look into my eyes.  “You are the sexiest woman alive to me.”  she reached the box of tissues on my desk and pulled a couple and began to clean the tears and snot from my face.  “Even snotty and blotchy.”

I laughed through my tears a little more.  “Some tough Sheriff I turned out to be.”

She smirked throwing away the papers.  “indeed.”

I reached behind me and handed her the envelope.  “Please sign these.”

She took the envelope from me and nodded. “I will.” she looked over my desk then turned to me.  “Are you free for lunch?”

“Lunch and dinner?”  I said with a lifted brow.

“I’d be with you all day if it were possible.”  She answered.  

I smiled and turned to look for my keys.  “Where are my keys?”  I said aloud as I thought I had left them next to me on the desk.  but they weren’t there.  I walked around the desk, put down whatever it was that I had in my hand and searched the drawers frantically.  “I can’t believe this.”  I mumbled.

“Emma…”  Regina said.

“They were just right here a minute ago.”  I mumbled.

“Emma, dear..”

“Yeah, Regina I just have to make sure I have the keys before we go.”  I said.

“Yes, but Emma, Your keys were in your hand.  You just put them down on the desk.”

I stopped searching and I looked on top of the desk and sure enough, there they were. “The hell?’ I said picking up the keys.

“If there was ever any doubt that you were pregnant…”  Regina muttered.

I blushed again, I was really getting tired of being embarrassed in front of her.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I have read that it’s normal to be distracted… because of all the blood that doesn’t reach your brain.”

“Babies make you stupid?”  I said.  I hadn’t noticed it so much with Henry… but I guess there wasn’t much to confuse me in prison.  “Huh… probably why I didn’t talk myself out of prison.”

“I have enough brain for the both of us.”  Regina said with a smile giving me a reassuring hug.”

“Have I told you how much this sucks?”  I asked her.

“Daily…”  She says looking a little guilty.

“But I am so glad that it is for the best reason possible.”  I stated kissing her cheek.

She smiled back. “Lunch?”

“Yes I’m starved.”

* * *

_***** Fairy tale Verde Prato by Giambattista Basile** _

__


	5. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma's birthday

* * *

**October 22, 2015**

* * *

 

My eyes fluttered open  as I felt Regina’s lips on my neck.  I moaned softly as she kissed along my jawline.  She met my lips and deepened the kiss she pressed on my lips making my body hum in pleasure. “Happy birthday dear,” She whispered against the my lips.

I smiled. I’m thirty four today. I wrapped my arms around her neck. “Is this my gift?”

“Partly,  You are to stay here in bed with me today.  Your father has agreed to take your shift today so that you can rest.

“Oh, I don’t have any problem with that.”  I said with a smile on my lips.  She buried her face in the crook of my neck as she straddled one of my thighs and pressed herself against me.

* * *

Regina and I had lunch with mom dad and Neil.  It was pleasant enough.  “What are you going to do tonight?”  Mom asked.

I looked at Regina, who leaned back in her seat.  “I was thinking we’d all have a dinner at the mansion., then maybe, Henry could come stay with you for the rest of the weekend?  If that’s alright?”

Mom narrowed her eyes.  “That’s … What if  we had plans with Emma?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Wait… what is going on here?”  I asked feeling a little like the rope at the tug -o-war.

“Emma I don’t understand why you allow her to monopolize your time!”  Mom said.

“Emma is a big girl Snow, she goes where she wants.”  Regina said with a shrug.  “She wants to be with me. I do things for her that you can never do.”

“I think I’m gonna go back to work.”  Dad said kissing mom on the cheek and Neil on the forehead.

“You’re leaving me with this?”  I asked him standing up as well.

“Yup,” He said wrapping his arms around me.

“Dad, I’m pregnant!”  I whine.

“Yes you are,”  He said then smirked a little. “ and like your girlfriend said, you’re a big girl.  Happy birthday baby.”

I sat back down with a pout as my girlfriend and my mom continued the argument. “She needs her family Regina.”

“As evidence by the fetus inside her, I am her family.” Regina shot back.

“Whoa!”  I interrupted.  “Did we have plans that you failed to tell me about mom?”  I asked sending a glare to my girlfriend.

“No, but--”

“See!”  Regina said signaling to her.

“Babe did you even ask her if she wanted to do something with me today?”  I asked Regina.

“Well, no… but--”

“This is what I want to do.”  I finally said cutting both of them off.  I want to be surrounded by family and friends today, because I have lived like a million years without any.  Every year since I have found you, I have still spent it alone or in danger and for the first time… I’m not in danger and I want to be surrounded by all the people I love… including the dwarves.”  I stopped and looked around at both of them.  “That’s right, the princess wants a birthday party. Then I would still like it if Henry could stay with you the weekend, because I am going to Cape Cod with my girlfriend for the weekend.”

Regina and my Mom stared at me then looked at each other and snorted a laugh at the same time. “Okay.”  Mom said through some giggles.  “We will keep Henry tonight.  That is never a problem, you know that.”

“It’s a little cold for the Cape isn’t it?”  Regina asked.

“I wasn’t planning on being outside at all this weekend.”  I said.

A devilish look came over my girlfriend and I knew that the words that were about to come from her lips were going to be incendiary, and not at all appropriate to be said in front of my mom so I kissed her. “You win.”  she whispered once I broke the kiss.

I smiled and turned to the bar.  “Ruby, let's have a party!”

The brunette behind the bar smiled and we put our heads together.

* * *

Regina and I walked into the mansion after the party.  I was happy, and emotional, because I had it all now. It felt so wonderful to know how loved I was after so many years of neglect and abandonment. “Are you happy?”  Regina asked reaching out and resting her hand on the small of my back.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her letting my emotions radiate in waves out of me.  I cried on her shoulders I was overwhelmed and I know Bean wasn't helping that predicament at all. “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it.”

I feel Regina chuckle.  “Well get a hold of yourself Miss Swan, you have one more gift.”

“Oh my god there’s more?”  I said unsure if I could take more.

“Just one more.”  She said leading me toward her study.  She went into her desk drawer.  “It isn't a huge deal or anything, but this is just from me.”

She came over with a small white box.”What’s this?”  I asked.

“Open it.”  She said and my heart began to pound.  nothing that wasn't a big deal came in a little jewelry box.  I opened it and saw the little golden key within.  “It’s to the house, you are always welcome here.” It was linked to a key chain that said “where my heart is.”

I smiled and leaned forward to claim her lips.  “Thank you.”

“Maybe we can discuss you moving in here soon.”  She asked hopefully.

“Yeah… Soon.”


	6. November

* * *

**November 4, 2015**

* * *

 

“Your pet bear is missing…”  I said looking at this dude  incredulously.  “what possessed you to let her out of her cage?  Why do you even have a bear?”

“When I was a prince, Gemma stumbled onto my castle grounds.  She was friendly, and could do so many things… I-”

“Wait, you had a bear as a servant?”  I asked.

“Well… she was trained to serve me yes.  and I loved her.”  He said, stammering.

“Excuse me… you what?”  I asked with a frown.

“Not like that… I mean she’s my pet.”  He clarified.  he was dubious though so I didn’t believe a word he said.

“Right, so what does this she-bear look like?”

“How do you mean?”  He asked

“I mean what kind of bear?”  I asked, rolling my eyes, “quickly before Animal control does the job for us.”

“Um, she’s--”

“She’s gone... “  This woman said coming up behind me.  I had never seen her in storybrooke before, but considering that I had never seen Nella before either, I didn’t find it strange.  “I saw her walk off the cliff at the edge of town.”  And she’s lying…

I turned to face her my eyes narrowed.  “How long ago was that?”

“I don’t know, about ten minutes.”  she said with a shrug.  

“What were you doing out there.”  I looked at her clothes.

“I was hiking the trails…” She trailed off.

Her clothes are clean.  in fact, her clothes were not hiking clothes. Her shoes, were not hiking shoes.  and wait… “Where’s your car, can we go there?”  I asked

“I walked.”  Why the hell was she lying about some place that was about a half hours walk away.  I looked at her hand and she was fiddling with a wooden figure.

“Right…  well we’ll go check that out… um what’s your name?”

“I’m Gem… Jamie.”  There’s another fucking lie.  I have absolutely no patience for this right now.

“Thanks for your information Jamie.”  I said and walked away from the two idiots.  I needed to go before I lost my patience. There was a little flutter in my stomach that made pause. “Was that you bean?”  I whispered.

There was another flutter and I smiled.  I could feel my baby move.  I sat in the cruiser and called Animal control to take care of the she-bear problem and drove to city hall.

* * *

 

“What… are you wearing?”  Regina said breathless as I let myself into the house later on. “Where is my son.”

“I got a little jealous this afternoon, when you were talking to Bean, and ignored me completely.” I said loving the pleather leggings and cleavage revealing top, especially since I had more to cleave.  “So I left Henry at home, so you and I get tonight to ourselves.”

I sashayed over to Regina, she watched me, unable to look away dinner completely forgotten. “You need to move in here…”  she said distractedly, her eyes glued to my chest as I approached.

I smirked and lifted her chin, so that her eyes met mine.  “dinner is burning.”

“Shit…” She hissed reaching for the stove handles and turning the burners off.

“As long as you remember I am a person and not a vessel for your unborn, I’ll be happy to.”  I said  leaning back on the counter next to the stove.

“When, Emma?”  She asked trying to salvage dinner.

“Soon,”  I said.

“Before thanksgiving, I need to be settled before the holidays.”  She said with a sigh then turned to me.  “Well the steaks are a little well done.”

“I’m not hungry for food…”  I said with a shrug

She smiled at me, then after ensuring that the stove was completely off,  pulled me by the hand and we headed up the stairs.

* * *

**November 11, 2015**

* * *

 

“Tell me again why Henry didn’t have school today?”  Regina asked as she picked up a box.

“It’s Veterans day.”  I answered.

“Are you sure  it isn’t just so he can lug your things around?”  She asked with a grin.

I smiled.  “Don’t act like you aren’t glad this is happening now.”

She leaned forward and kissed me.  “Oh come on moms!”  Henry said coming into the room.

He took the last box from Regina, “Thank you Henry.”

“Welcome.”  he said.  “Grandma is downstairs freaking out.”

I sighed.  “She’s  been emotional since I told her I was moving in with you and Henry.  Thinks she won’t see us as much.”

“Well, she’s right” Regina said.

I nodded, “I propose that Wednesdays now become family dinner for all of us.”

Regina groaned and rolled her eyes. “Must we all?”

“Yes, Regina.  Don’t make me point out my childhood.”  I said with a pout.

She gasped.  “That’s not fair Emma.”

“Please?  For Henry and Bean?”

“Fine… I suppose one night a week wouldn’t be terrible.” Regina said and the two of us headed down the stairs.

“Is that it?”  Mom asked bouncing Neal on her hip.

I noded.  “You know I didn’t have a lot.”

“Yes, but I thought you were beginning to settle in here.”  Mom said with a frown.  “And now you’re gone again.

“Oh for god’s sake Snow, she’s only moving a few streets over don’t be so melodramatic.”  Regina snapped.  I shot her a warning glance.  “What?”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Mom.  “Why don’t you dad and Neal come over for dinner tonight.  It’s Wednesday.”

Mom beamed.  “You’re inviting us to family night?”

“Well you are family… and.. and I have Emma with me all the time now.”  Regina conceded.

Mom was moved nearly to tears and reached out to hug me and Regina both.  Regina stiffened as mom squeezed harder.  I grunted and she gasped.  “Oh… Your belly.. It’s so cute.  It’s there I can feel it now.”

I smile and stand back putting my hand on my small little belly.  “Yeah, there she is.”

“You know it’s a girl?”  Mom asked.

“It is the only genetic possibility Snow.”  Regina says.  I looked at her and I could imagine her thoughts.  we let her teach in our schools?

“Yes… Except, magic.” Mom said.

“Yes… except magic needs to take genetic material in order to create something.”  Regina said surprisingly not snapping at mom for being an idiot.

“So dinner tonight?”  Mom asked.

“Six sharp.  Do not be late.”  Regina said and walked toward the door.

I smirked and gave mom a hug before walking back toward my love.

* * *

**November 18, 2015**

* * *

 

“Did you feel that?”  I mumbled through a haze.

“Feel what?”  Regina asked burying her face into my neck.  Her hand had been resting on my  belly and Bean had been playing pat a cake with her hand.

“The baby.”  I said softly.  It didn’t matter Bean had stopped moving.

Regina was fully awake now and she was up on her elbow.  “She was moving?”  Regina smile wistfully.

“Yeah, I think because your hand was right there.”  I answered.  I didn’t have a partner to go through this with me last time, and I had to say I find this process much more enjoyable with Regina around.

“Time to get up dear.”  She said glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

I sighed.  “Okay… still looking for that stupid she bear.”

“That bear does not exist.”  Regina said sliding out of our bed.

“How do you mean?”  I asked with a yawn,  as I slid out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

“There is a theory I have been working on,”  She said following me to the bathroom.  “ as I had Bell cross-reference a story form--”

“Whoa…”  I stopped her at the door.

“What?”  Regina asked as I stopped her at the door.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”  I said doing the pee-pee dance.

“Then go!  I’m not stopping you.”  She said and tried to push past me.

“There are things I am not comfortable with you seeing yet.”  I insisted.

She laughed.  “Don’t be ridiculous.  I know you use the bathroom Emma.  Everybody poops… including me.”

“Just… not yet okay?” I say.  It was bad enough that she has seen more of me than I have wanted her to, and I’ve burped in her face.  I have been at my most unsexy with her.  I needed to keep some things to myself for now.

“Fine,” she said and turned her back on the door.  I closed it and ran to the toilet, because I was about to pee my pants.  “Anyway,”  she continued through the door.  “There was once a story of a she bear.  A girl that like me had been meant to marry an old man.  Except the old man had been her mother’s husband.  Not her father but step-father.”

She paused because I think she heard me turn on the water to wash my hands after I was done.  and she opened the door.  “Can I come in now?”

I smiled and turned lifting my tank top up over my head. “So what happened to this girl?”

“She came to Rumplestiltskin, and got a talisman, that if she put it in her mouth, her father wouldn’t know where to find her.”

“The talisman turned her into a bear?”  I asked as she pulled her nightgown over her head and reached into the shower to turn it on.

“Precisely, but she hid away  as a bear to keep from paying the price for the favor.”  She came over to me and took me by the hand leading me to the shower.

I relaxed under the rainshower body spray.  Regina began to lather me up and massage parts of me that I didn’t realize had been tense and sore. “What was the price?”  I asked sighing.

“I don’t know. That is between her, and the dark one.”  Regina answered dropping a kiss at the nape of my neck.

“Since the dark one is gone…”

“She’s having trouble maintaining bear form.”  Regina finishes.  I turn in her arms and begin to lather her up .  Our mornings together the past week have been like this.  I can say I didn’t mind waking up at the buttcrack of dawn anymore.  Gave us plenty of time for this.

“I think I know where the She bear is.”  I said through a moan.

“Do you need me to move your appointment today?”  She asked.

“Nope, It will be done before lunch.  We’ll meet at Granny’s and head to Shirley's after.”  I answered, and the rest of whatever we might say faded in a flurry of kissing and touching.  It was clear, no more talking, not till after.

* * *

 

“Jamie right?”  I say approaching the blonde from the She Bear issue.  She was standing in front of the grocery store fiddling with her little wooden man.  “you know I can buy whatever you need, you don’t have to steal it.”

“You know don’t you?”  She started to  cry.

“I think I do… Gemma.”  I said softly trying to meet her downward gaze without touching her.

“I can’t turn back into a bear… and Father will find me now.”  She said with ragged breaths.  “I don’t want to marry him.”

“The queen… Mayor, she has a warrant out for his arrest.  Do you know his Real world name?”

“The Mayor?”  Gemma furrowed her brow.

“The queen had zero tolerance for old men that like to take advantage of little girls.”  I said.  I shrug.  “Personally I hope he rots in jail.”

she began to cry in earnest now.  “I don’t know his name.  I don’t know.”

“Did that guy that kept you know you were human?”  I asked.

“He was an idiot, and a disgusting pervert.”  She said.  “I don’t want to go back there either.”

“Okay… How old are you Gemma?”  I asked.

“Sixteen.”  she answered.  I sighed.  a sixteen year old orphan.

“Well you are old enough to take care of yourself if you want to… but would you like to go to school?”  I asked.

She looked up at me.  her eyes brightening.  “Will you help me?”

I smiled and opened up my phone to call. “You hungry?”

She nodded and I led her to Granny’s .

* * *

 

“Hey there Little one, It’s mami.”  Regina murmured to my belly.  She talks spanish to our baby sometimes, and it’s funny because I have never heard her utter a word of it before.  She looks Latina, and she says that she would likely be that , and has begun picking up the language as she hears it.

The baby did a summersault, and regina presses her ear on the belly as she talks.  “Oh, my God Bean!”  I said with one solid kick to my bladder.  

Regina frowned.  “She moved?”

“She is still so little.”  I answered and picked up the picture of the sonogram Shirley had taken of our healthy little girl.

“You know we should probably begin searching for a name.”  She said.

“I don’t know Regina… I’ve never named a kid.”  I said.

“Which is probably why you should name Bean.”

“Bean is not good enough?”  I said with a chuckle.

She laughs.  “I hope not.  Could you imagine the life she will have with a name like that?”

“How did you pick Henry’s name?”  I asked her and she looked at me dubiously.  “I mean I know how but why?”

“Because, Daddy and Daniel had each been the person I loved most.  Daddy had been my sacrifice, and Henry had ended up being the happiness from that sacrifice.”

“See… That’s deep.  All I can think about when I think of bean was that July was a good month for me this year.”

Regina smiled and ducked her head down  to kiss my belly. “We have plenty of time Emma.  I’m sure we can come up with something.”

* * *

**November 25, 2015**

* * *

 

I saw myself on the floor, before it happened.  I slipped, and I had been doing so well.  I mean who falls up the stairs?  This girl.  I landed hard on my knees, luckily I caught myself before Bean hit the step.

Ugh I hated how much more clumsy I was with pregnancy.  It doesn’t help that  Regina hovers over me every time, as If I would break  if I tripped.  Okay so I like how protective she is sometimes, I like that she cares, but truthfully it got tiresome after a while.

 I looked around to make sure no one had seen.  I had been rushing upstairs because I had forgotten my badge on the nightstand before heading out to work.  all I could think as I finished the journey, was thank god it wasn’t on my way down the stairs

The fall had me a little more rattled than I expected.  When I began to get bigger, i had been more cautious about how i moved, so the fall kind of jostled me, and I began to ache from the shock alone.  “Great…”  I mumbled to myself as I made my way down the stairs.

There was a knock on the door just as I was reaching for the door knob.  “I got it!” I shouted over my shoulder.  I knew Regina was in her study getting some things ready for work.

“Sheriff Swan?”  I blinked at Cliff.  A man I didn’t know well but I’ve always had a distaste for.  It wasn’t that he ever did anything wrong, but  there was just something about him. “I am king Elric in the Enchanted Forest, and I am to understand that you may have found my daughter in this realm.  I have been searching for her since you have broken the curse.”

I stepped back as I heard Regina’s steps approach us.  “She is not your daughter Elrick.  She is an orphan and a ward of the state.”  She said fiercely.  And I knew who she was talking about.  My skin crawled as I watched the nasty wrinkled old man glare at Regina.

“She is my princess.”  He spat.

Regina laughed.  “Look around Elric, there are no kingdoms here. You don’t need a princess, you need to get laid.  I will not allow the child to be molested by a nasty piece of work like you.”

“I will get her, this town isn’t that big.”  He spat at Regina.

I growled.  “Are you sure you want to be saying that in front of the sheriff AND the mayor… Cliff?”

He looked me over and laughed.  “As if you could stop me.”

I looked at my girlfriend, then back at the man and I swear that sometimes the darkness I no longer have, still worms its way back into me.  Regina put a hand on my shoulder to calm me, knowing how quickly my moods change, and purple smoke envelops the man.  “That man is a nasty piece of work sheriff, you will find him in the cell as you arrive at work this morning.”

She was all business, and I smirked.  “I love it when you talk to me like that.”

She smirked back at me and got closer. “I know you do, but our day is only beginning Miss Swan, we may continue this discussion in my office at noon?”

“Oh Yeah.”

* * *

 

**_Bae: We’re  doing Thanksgiving this year right?_ **

****

_Me: Um… IDK Are we?_

__

**_Bae: If I am… Family Dinner at Granny’s_ **

****

_Me: Mom says she will bring the pie._

__

**_Bae: Good, tell her we’ll see her at Granny’s later._ **

****

* * *

 

“Granny, can I talk to you?”  I asked the older woman as she changed my brother’s diaper.

“Sure,”  She said finishing up and sipping up the toddler inside his footie pajamas.  The loft felt a little cooler.  I figured Granny was having hot flashes and the best way to keep Neil warm without her dying was to bundle him up… I totally appreciated it too.

“So there’s this King Elric.”

“That degenerate bastard.”  She growled.

“He has a step-daughter that he has been dying to find, and I found her.  She is filing for emancipation, but I think she needs someone to stand as a barrier between her and that man.”

“You want me to be her guardian?”

“The girl is already staying at the B&B so I figured she could just stay there, but in your house.  She wants to work, and earn her own money and get away from the men that victimized her.”

“I don’t know Emma… I’ve had my fill of Teenagers.”

“Please.  I’ve been where she is now, and I wish someone had been there to protect me.  and I would do anything for that protection.  She will be good.  It’s better than being stuck as a bear for 28 years.”

“Okay, Emma.”  Granny said with a nod.

Tell her to talk to me after school’s out and I’m back at the Diner.

“Thanks Granny.”  I said with a smile.  I picked Neal up and tossed him a little making little man giggle.  “I see you tonight at dinner bud!  What do you want to eat?”

“Frenfies!”  He said.

“Word, that’s Gina’s favorite too.”  I said

“WUgina.”  He corrected me.

I laughed.  “Excuse, me!  you are so right.  Wugina.”

He giggled and shook his head.  “Wugina!”

“Oh… my bad.  Regina.”  I repeated.

He nodded. “ Yeah!”  I hugged my baby brother and kissed his little head.  I got a bit emotional because I couldn’t believe I would be holding a child of my own like this soon.  It was too late to do this with henry… wasn’t it?

“Okay bud, sis has got to get back to work”  I said putting him on the floor and discreetly wiping the tear that had managed to slip.

“Kay Memma.”  He said and toddled over to his train set.

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy motherhood just as much.  and it’s never too late to love the one you have… Take that lesson from your Mother.”

I smiled and nodded at the older woman as I waved  my goodbyes.  “See you after school Granny.”

* * *

 

“Granny, This is Gemma.”  I said introducing the girl to her new guardian.  “I hope you don’t mind this Gemma, but I feel that you will be safer with a guardian, now that Cliff know’s you're here.

She sighed and nodded.  “I really appreciate this Mrs. Lucas.  I swear I’ll work hard.”

“You will be going to school too.  And I expect good grades.  Move your things from the room they got you and bring them into the main house.  I’ll be damned if that man gets his hooks on you.”  Granny said all business leading Gemma toward the back.

I sighed and turned to head back to the Station.  As I came out, I spotted  Henry and Momo in a booth.  heads together doing homework.  Just as I was about to walk up to them, however, he leaned in and kissed her.  I stopped in my tracks and reached for my phone.  I took a picture.  They looked so sweet it broke my heart. I missed everything.  I missed seeing my little boy and I don’t care that I can remember every good thing that happened in his childhood… I missed it and my heart aches to hold him like my baby.

I took a deep breath to center myself and turned to leave running right smack into Mom.  I let out a shuddering breath and she reached her arms around me and held me.  “I know just how you feel.”  she whispered. and I cried because yes she did.  she knew exactly how I felt and now I understood her.

I understood why she treated me like a child.  Why she needed to be with me so much it was suffocating and I let her hold me.  She walked with me to a booth and soothed me.  “I get it now.”  I whispered

“I’m sorry I’m so demanding of your time. “  She said back to me.  “You did so good not to interrupt him though, I’m proud of you.”

I snorted a little laugh.  “I wanted to pull him away.  I’m not ready for him to do that yet.”

Mom smiled and dried my tears.  “I’m not ready to be a grandmother again either.”  She whispered.  “But I’m excited.  It is a strange feeling when your child is in love.”

“My child  is not in love.”  I heard from behind me.  I turned and smiled at Regina wanly.

“He may not be, but right now it feels like it to him, Look at him.’  Mom said as Regina sat across from us at the table.

“Is that why you were tearful?”  She asked me her eyes full of concern.

“Kind of.”  I said with a shrug.  “I’m all wound up because of bean.”

“You can’t keep calling her bean.”  Mom said with a smile and a pat to the hand trying to change the subject.

“Okay, what about  Erica?” I asked.  “Sort for America?”

“No.”  Was all Regina said on the subject.  

I chuckled, because I hadn’t given the name anymore thought since we had last discussed it.  “Okay, I’ll keep working on it.”

“You’re just going to push this off until I have to pick this name aren’t you?”  She asked.

I smirked.  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Don’t you dare!”  both Mom and Regina said.

“I’ll find her name.  I think I have her middle name all picked anyway.”

“What is it?”  Mom asked.  Regina pouted.  When I mentioned it to her in bed the week before, she agreed reluctantly, because the word had significance for me in many levels.  

“It could be better.”  She grumped.

“What?”  Mom asked again.

“You can wait until 8 days after bean is born, just like everyone else.”  Regina muttered.

Mom sighed exaggeratedly and sat back in her seat.  “I suppose it’s only fair.  She is a Royal after all.”

I raised an eyebrow and turned to face Regina. She shrugged satisfied.  “I can’t believe that worked.”

“Of course it did.”  Regina said as Dad and Neal walked into the Diner.  

Dad reached over to Henry and pulled him by his collar away from the girl he’d been swapping spit with. “Care to join us?”

“Um.. Okay Gramps… S-sorry”  He said and turned to his girlfriend.  “Wanna eat with us Momo?”

She smiled and looked at her watch.  “Henry, Mom wants me home, and… we didn’t do much homework, so I’m just gonna go.”

He smiled sheepishly at her.  “Yeah, okay… bye!” he leaned in to kiss her then noticed his entire family staring at him and stuck out his hand.

Momo blushed and took his hand.  Then laughed and shook her head.  “You’re a dork.”

“I love you too…”  He chuckled then they both kind of stared and each of them turned away from each other quickly and headed to their final destinations. I covered my face.  “Don’t say anything.”  Henry hissed sitting next to me, because baby uncle had taken residence on Regina’s lap and he got handsy with Henry’s fries.

“That was a major slip of the tongue.”  I whispered at him.

“I know… was it too soon?”  He asked.

I looked at him and he looked so worried I couldn’t bring myself to shutting his feelings down.  “Not if you feel it Henry.”

“I think I do…”  he said looking down at the Menu as if he didn’t know what was on it by heart.

“Then everything else should fall into place.”  I said wrapping my arm around him and kissing his forehead.

* * *

_*****Fairy Tale She-bearby Giambattiste Basile** _


	7. Mini Fic-- Happy Thanksgiving!

* * *

**November 26, 2005**

* * *

 

I woke up early Thursday morning alone in bed.  but I could smell Thanksgiving in the air.  I smiled.  This was the first time having a thanksgiving meal with a family of my own.  I reached for Regina’s robe and walked down to the Kitchen.  “Morning beautiful.”  I mumbled kissing my girlfriend’s neck as she worked on peeling some potatoes.

 

“Good morning, did you sleep well?”  She asked turning her head and kissing me on the lips.

 

“yeah, how can I help?”  I asked.

 

“Stir the cranberries for me dear, I’m not sure what  it is your mother meant by she was bringing Cranberry sauce, but I sure as hell am not serving anything that comes from a can.”  

 

“She said she'd bring pie.”  i said stirring the sauce.

 

“She also texted me about the sauce.”  Regina said.  “At six this morning.”

 

“Why so early.  She was working on the pie, and a breakfast dish she is to bring any minute now.”  Regina said.  I noticed that she trusted my mother with breakfast at least, since there was nothing to eat this early.

 

“Cool.”  I said.

 

“As if i’t let my family starve till dinner was ready.”  She mumbled to herself.

 

“So you have breakfast too?”  I asked incredulously.

 

“No… but there are a number of cold appetizers ready until you came down and cooked breakfast because it is your turn today.”

 

“Oh… really cool.”  I said with a smile as I heard the doorbell ring.

 

“Two days… Emma.  we should have canceled family dinner yesterday.”

 

I laughed because I knew she didn’t mean a word of this.  I opened the door and  barely had time to catch little bro before he jumped completely out of Dad’s arms. “MEMMA!”

 

“Hey little man.”  I said with a smile hugging him.

 

I stepped aside to let the rest of them in. greeting them all with a smile.  “Where Wugina?”

 

“She is making yummy food for dinner.”  I answered my brother.

 

“Where Henwy?”  He asked then I hear his steps coming down from upstairs.  “HENWY!

 

“Hey baby uncle.”  Henry said and I lost the boy.  The two of them ran off to the living room.

 

We had a nice brunch together.  I played referee  between my Mother and my Girlfriend, and I stuffed myself to the brim at dinner.

  
We all kind of fell into a stupor after the initial dinner.  going back for seconds later that evening, and that night I dropped in bed like a stone.


	8. December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> k finally all caught up. I have to say this one was written really quickly it isn't as long as my others, but there are two side chapters from this month that come out, so I don't feel too sorry. There is bound to be a million mistakes, I just wanted to get this in this Wednesday this way everyone starts on the right time. Updates for this wont come again until Christmas, New Years and then the first Wednesday of January.

* * *

**December 2, 2015**

* * *

 

I Jerked awake and screamed. “Awww FUCK!”  

 

“What’s wrong!”  Regina startled awake.

 

“My Leg!”  I groaned.  I got a freaking charlie horse and it woke me out of a really great fucking dream..  “Oh my God.”

 

“Your Leg?”  Regina said looking at me just as lost as she was a moment ago when she woke up.

 

“Charlie horse…”  I said crying clutching my right leg.

 

“Oh…”  She said and took my leg in her hands.  “Here stretch it out, then point and flex your toes.”  

 

I cried my way through it.  “God I hated when this happened to me last time.”

 

“Last time?” She asked.  “You mean this is normal?”

 

I nodded.  “I used to pace the cell forever to get back, but I couldn’t even really sleep.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“It was so hard to get comfortable.”  I mumbled.  I realize that maybe Regina needed to know what it was like for me in prison.  I usually try to avoid talking about it.  but maybe it would be good for me too.  “It’s hard for me here in this bed built like a cloud. can you imagine the Hot Arizona prison cell?”

 

She looked at me and the fact I was dressed in nothing but a t-shirt in a snowy december morning and nodded.  “I see how that could be a torture.”

 

Then she got this far away look in her eye, like she wanted something. “What’s up Regina?”

 

“I just … I wish i had given myself a chance to feel that at least once.”  Regina said.

 

“You know you could share my discomfort.”  I said

 

She looked at me. “WHat do you mean?”

 

“THere is a tether… I can link to you through our baby.  You won’t feel really bad you will just know how I’m feeling.  I thought about it when Bean started moving and you couldn’t feel her, but then I totally forgot about it.”

 

“Really?  I… I think i’d like it.”  Regina said.

 

“Okay… give me your hand.”  I said I had been practicing, so I made the link with my girlfriend.

 

“How long will it last?”  SHe asked as I feel her rub on my calf a little harder.  The pain in her own must have just intensified.

 

“when Bean gets here.”  I said.  She smiled.

 

“THank you.”  She said and kissed me softly.

 

I smiled and lay back in the bed just as the alarm blared.  “Ugh! Why?”

 

She laughed and slapped my thigh lightly.  “Come on… Let's start our day with whatever it was you were dreaming about before you were so rudely interrupted.”

 

“Was I being loud?” I asked sliding out of bed.

 

“No,”  Regina said kissing me softly before heading toward the bathroom. “You’re super horny, THis tether is better than I expected.”

 

“That’s not  a fair assessment I’m always horny.” said following her into the bathroom.

 

* * *

 

“OOOH You’re halfway done!”  Mom said dropping down next to me after family dinner. “How do you feel?”

 

I sat back and thought about it. Really thought about everything.  “I’m actually really  excited to meet her, and scared… I mean what if I suck at this?”

 

“What do you mean?”  Mom asked.  “You are already a mother.”

 

“Yes, but Henry was already house trained by the time I met him…  I don’t even know how to hold a baby.  I didn’t even Hold Neal until he was six months old.”

 

“You will be fine.”  mom said patting my hand.  “ Besides you have Regina.  She’s great with children.”

 

“But It’s me for the first time.”

 

“Just enjoy the ride Emma.”  Mom said softly and I felt someone sit on my other side. A hand pressed against my stomach and I felt Regina whisper in my ear.

 

“You will be fine, you’re tense.” Regina said

 

“So Emma, Did you interrogate that kid arsonist?” dad said walking into the room and glaring at my Girlfriend.

 

Regina took the hint and leaned back a little.  It still tickled me a little to watch her defer to my father. “He didn’t remember anything Dad, it was weird.  I totally believe him.”

 

“Why?”  He said.  “All of this evidence…”

 

“Yes but I know he isn’t lying about something making him do it.  I mean dad how far fetched is that in a town where the former dark one is the sheriff, and the Mayor is an evil queen sorceress.”

 

“I suppose you’re right.”  He said.

 

“THere are instances of spirits causing a person's darkest desires no matter how suppressed to surface.  And that is the scary part…”

 

“In other words, If the Spirit gets a hold of someone who has had deep darkness like you or me…”

 

“It could be the most dangerous thing that could ever happen in this town.”

 

“We got to watch this kid…” Dad Said.

  
  


* * *

**December 9, 2015**

* * *

 

 

I walked into Granny’s Just before Noon to pick up the lunch order before heading to Regina’s office for lunch. And I was shocked to see My girlfriend there.  Lifting a Big juicy burger to her lips.  I smirked realizing that this was exactly what I was craving.

 

“You know I usually offset my diet with exercise so I can keep healthy.”  I said coming up behind her.

 

She finished her bite and turned to face me.  “I can’t… your cravings are the devil.”

 

I laughed and kissed her cute little nose.  “I pick my battles.”

 

“If this continues, I’ll be the one as big as a house when this is all done.”  She said.

 

“you could always join me in the morning for a run.” I said with a giggle.

 

“I’ll think about it.”  She said.  “Are you here to pick up our lunches?”

 

“Yeah, but um… I guess I can just order mine and we can eat here?” I answered.

 

“NO… I have found some headway on our case and we need to discuss it..”

 

“So we are sure it’s the Amanojaku?”  I asked.

 

“Yes, and we need to get these spirits exorcised before its victims become nothing but a pile of skin.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure we should save this one?”  Regina hissed as we followed Leroy’s little dwarf  ass down an alley.  “I don’t like how this feels right now.”

 

“Regina… Leroy has stood by us through a lot.”  I answered

 

“Us”  No… You.”  She answered.

 

“I recall him throwing all his support to you when I was the dark one.”  I shot back.

 

“Fine,”  She said and pulled out the little box she plans to trap the little demon inside our friend with.

 

I stepped forward and I felt a little flip From Bean.  Regina Stopped cold in her tracks and looked at me.  “What?”

 

“She just moved!”  She was completely distracted now.  She reached for my belly.  “Hi bean.”

 

“Regina, focus!”  I said.

 

“She moved, Emma!  Moved!”  She repeated as if I were deaf.

 

“Yes, Regina, but there will be no Leroy left to save if we don’t move now.”  I hissed.

 

“How can you concentrate with that happening?” She asked.

 

I  bite back a chuckle.  “ I think that spell might have been a mistake… you’re getting more and more like me every day.”

 

“Don’t you dare take it back!”  Regina said.  “I just don't care as much as you do about Leroy.”

 

“Stop kidding yourself.”  I said with a smirk.

 

“Alright. Let’s go.”

  
  


December 16, 2015

 

“Oh my gosh look at you!”  It was the third person… not stranger but someone I don’t often associate with  to point out my pretty new accessory.

 

I smiled, “Yeah, here I am.”

 

“I’ve got to just…”  She reached out and I stepped back.

 

“Oh… I know it’s tempting but only The Mayor is allowed to touch this.  Yeah?’  I said.

 

“Oh…”  she  looked properly embarrassed at herself. “Of course.”

 

I shook my head and walked into granny’s   “Ems!”  Ruby said coming over to me and wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

 

“Rubes.”  I answered.

 

She reached down at my belly and rubbed it. “Little Ems…”  I tensed and growled a little and ruby laughed at me. “  There is a Poll on the name… and I want to see what’s on your short list.”

 

“Not telling.” I said.  “ And the next person that touches me is going to get it,”

 

“Aww… “  Ruby said.  “I got the package you ordered”

 

I smiled.  “Perfect.”

 

“Hey there sister!”  Leroy said walking into the diner and he touched the belly.  My hand automatically reached out and punched him in the eye.

 

“Don’t Touch the belly!”  I said.

 

“I just wanted to thank you and your lady for savin’ me from that demon.  Sorry I tried.”

 

“What else is new Leroy.”

 

“Em’s Chill…”  Ruby said pulling me to the back.  “Let’s go get that present.”

 

* * *

 

I sat up in bed, because that is the only way I can sleep anymore. This burning chest was seriously  kicking my ass.  I watched Regina toss and turn trying to get comfortable.  “Regina, baby sit up it helps trust me.”

 

She sat up in the bed and she rubbed her chest. “This is misery.”

 

I helped her get propped up in bed. “Better?”

 

“A little.  I’m so sorry.”

 

“For what?”  I asked.

 

“Causing this much trouble.”

 

I snorted, “ It’s not like you did it on purpose.” She sighed.  “Do you want to keep the link?”

 

“Yes… Believe it or not I am enjoying it.”  Regina answered.

 

I smiled.  “I believe it… I am too.  I like not being numb to it this time, you know?”  She nodded and lifted up a book on the night stand.

 

I sighed and leaned back a little more, and closed my eyes.  “Emma?”  lI hear after a few minutes of silence.  “What happened with Leroy this afternoon?”

 

“What do you mean?”  I asked letting out a slight chuckle behind the words.

 

“You know what I mean.”  She answered and I wasn’t sure if it was serious, or she was just playing at it.

 

“He touched my belly.”  I said and I let it out with a tremendous bout of giggles that were never going to stop.

 

She exhaled a laugh.  Then she joined me.  “Should I charge you with excessive force Sheriff?” She said after her laughter died down a bit.

 

“He was the third person that did it.”  I said inhaling deeply.  “All in less than fifteen minutes.”

 

“Well I can’t say I envy you that.”  She chuckled.

  
  


* * *

**December 23, 2015**

* * *

 

****  
  


“Your hair is beautiful.” Regina said running her fingers through my hair.  “And I think it’s time for a cut.”

I turned to face her. “You think so?”

 

“It's’ like… spun gold.” she said.

 

“How cliche.”  I said with a roll of my eyes.

 

She smacked my thigh playfully. “Cliche? Miss Swan, I am no such thing.”

 

“Ow…”  I said and giggled after.  “Anyway, We have to go.  I am not spending Christmas with a trapped Amanojaku.  we are vanquishing it today.”

 

Regina hopped out of bed and toward the shower.  I had already done so and just lay to rest in my underwear, I was getting tired so much faster now. Dizzy spells were intolerable sometimes.

 

I sighed and got up out of bed slowly and magicked my clothes on my body.  There was a knock on the bedroom door.  “Come in.”  I said and sighed when there was no response.

 

Soundproofing this bedroom was the best and the worst thing Regina did for my lazy body.  I walked to the door and opened it, and turned my wrists making the bed.  “Hey,”  

I said to my son giving him a smile.

 

“Ma, can I talk to you for a minute?”  Henry said.

 

“Yeah, actually, I want to talk to you too…”  I looked behind me to make sure Regina was still in the shower and walked with Henry back to his bedroom.  “What’s up?”

 

“So, I bought Momo a gift, and I was wondering if you think she’d like it.”

 

“Aww.”  I said and smiled, “Let me see?”

 

He pulled out a box and within it there was a little charm bracelet.  “She doesn’t wear much jewelry, so…”

 

“It’s beautiful Henry.”  I said looking at the little tiny Peach at the beginning. an ice cream cone, and some books, and some pie… “this is very sweet.”

 

He smiled and blushed shyly. “Did you… have something to tell me?”

I took a deep breath.  “Yeah I need to ask for your mother’s hand.  No one else is here to give it but you.”

 

“You want to marry mom?” he asked a smile growing on his face.  “She’ll love that.”

 

“Really?  With her history, you know I wasn’t sure she’d want--”

 

“Ma, please! Of course you have my blessing.”  Henry said and threw his arms around me.  I smiled and held my son close to me.

 

“Hey… where’d you get the money for the bracelet?”  I asked.

 

“Um… Okay so I kind of doubled up on allowance for like three months.”  He admitted.

 

“Henry!”

 

“I know if I had asked, you’d want to know why and I didn’t want you to know okay?”  He said.

 

“You’re cut off for the next two months you hear me?  You are to tell your mother I already gave you your allowance and not take any from her.”  I said leaning back.

 

“Okay.”  He groaned.

 

“Was it worth it though?”  I asked.  He smiled and nodded.  “Good.”

 

* * *

**December 30, 2015**

* * *

 

“Excuse me Madam Mayor…. Oh.”  Regina’s secretary walked into Regina’s office to find me sitting at her desk.  “I thought she was here.”

 

“Um…’ I said squirming in my seat a little thanking god Regina’s desk had a front to it. “She is in the bathroom… uh, You know somethings you can’t fix with magic.”  I said laughing nervously as I felt a very wet muscle lap at my center.

 

Her secretary laughed.  “I suppose that’s true, “  She said and began to walk into the room. I bit my lip as Regina had begun to redouble their efforts to see if I would give away her position and I wished  Lena would just leave already. “Will you see that she looks at these proposals?”

 

I nodded.  “Mmmhmmm, sure.”  I said nodding my head as she dropped the folder on to the desk.

 

“DId you bring her lunch or would you like for me to order something for the two of you?”  she asked as she headed toward the door.

 

“Um..”  I said glancing down at my lap. Regina gave me a thumbs up and I answered.  “Maybe yeah… order something?”

 

“Oh, what would you desire Sheriff?”  She asked coming closer. Regina pinched my thigh and I flinched.

 

“Uh… no… um no.. I think I want to take her out to eat.”  I amended.

 

“Alright.”  Lena said giving me a strange little look.and finally left the room.

 

“What were you thinking?”  Regina asked pushing the chair back and standing from her kneeling position.

 

“I wasn’t thinking… I was in the middle of something!”  I answered as she lifted her hand and locked the door behind her.  “A little late for that isn’t it?” I said dressing again.

 

“That’s not fair!  You walked in here all libido… what was I supposed to do?”  She asked.

 

“You’re older!  Keep it in your pants!”  I argued back.

 

“Are we seriously arguing about this?”  Regina said. THen began to laugh.

 

I looked down at my lap and began to laugh with her. “That was… “

 

“THe stupidest argument we have ever had.” Regina  said.

 

“NO, what about the time you--”

 

“Correction, this is the stupidest argument we have ever had.  Miss Swan really?” Regina said grabbing her bag as I came around her desk.

 

“Don’t call me that.”  I said through gritted teeth,  and I felt her kind of jump a little.

 

She looked back at me.  “You really hate that don’t you?”

 

“You didn’t believe me?”  I asked and opened the door.

 

Lena looked up and blinked at us.  We paused at the door and looked back at her. “Lena Push my meetings I am done with everything until next year.”

 

“But…” and before Lena could ask how Regina had gotten back in her office without seeing her, the both of us went up in a puff of purple smoke.

* * *

  
  


*** Amanojaku--  From Fairytale Melon Princess  "Origin: Japan. An evil demon that can read people's minds. Also known as Ama no Sakugami, it reads minds, then says/does the opposite. It is also said to eat humans from the inside, then becoming them by wearing their skin."

—Shin Megami Tensei A-Mode DDS Dictionary


	9. Aside - Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope your holidays are going well, mine are... aggravating, but still. I am happy to bring this short chapter to you for your holiday pleasure. My gift to you, enjoy!

 

* * *

**December 24, 2015**

* * *

"So Like, the Mexicans do what?" Henry said watching as his mother attempted to bake some different Christmas foods. she had been trying to be more Latin since she felt that maybe had she been born in this realm that might be the category she fell into… whatever that meant. Most Americans were trying to forget the color lines and here she was trying to define her color lines.

"They go around the neighborhood, kind of like the Christmas carolers. They are called Posadas." I said sitting on the bar stool and reaching for a sugar cookie on the cooling rack.

She slapped my hand. "Don't even think about it."

"Anyway, the Posadas would have started days ago. They do it from the 16th till hold a procession, hold candles and sing Christmas carols." I looked at Regina with the most pitiful look I could muster. "Please! Just one, Bean is begging you."

"No…" Regina said.

"So Ma, how do you know this?" Henry asked.

"I got out of prison around Christmas time. Arizona has so many Mexicans…"

"Oh…" Henry said, and Regina handed me a cookie.

I beamed at her, and filed that away for later. "That year, I stayed at one of the girls I was in prison with for the Christmas season. The procession came every night, sometimes there were people playing the part of Mary and Joseph. Sometimes, they were carrying little statues of them. And every night they would pick a house and sang the song asking for a place at the inn."

"Did they ever come to the house you were staying at?" Henry asked completely into the story. I chewed on the awesome sugar cookie for a bit and nodded. "how does the song go?"

"Um… I don't know, I think the gist is those outside the house sing the part of Joseph asking for shelter and the family inside responds singing the part of the innkeeper saying that there is no room."

"Then what happens?" Regina asked pausing. I can tell she is fascinated with the process.

"Well… The song switches back and forth a few times until finally the innkeeper decides to let them in. The hosts open the door and everyone goes inside." I looked at my girlfriend. "Why are you thinking you might be that kind of Latina?"

She barked out a laugh. "Hardly… could you imagine me going from home to home for nine nights singing? The town would have a collective heart attack."

We all laughed at this. "Ma have you experienced other kinds of Christmases?"

"I stayed with a Cuban Family, they were the best! They were one of those safe houses between all the bad ones. I was supposed to stay there for three days but they refused to give me back through the Holidays. I don't remember much of it I was ten, but they celebrated with a Puerto Rican Family next door. They came together on Christmas eve, with piles and piles of food. The Cubans had a whole Roasted Cerdo-"

Regina smiled at me. "A pig?" She said.

"Can we have a roasted cerdo? I mean… please!" I stated.

"That can be arranged." She said smiling still, Giving me a look that I just didn't recognize.

"Do you think you're this kind of Latina?" I asked.

"My taste buds definitely agree… Please continue."

"They had lots of different food… apple cider… "

"Yes… I'm definitely Cuban." She said and I laughed a little.

"One of their friends from another country, I don't remember made The best fruit cake I have ever tasted. She was Caribbean too I think, but it was sooo good I kept going back for more."

"I don't think we have time to roast a pig." Henry said.

Regina and I looked at him. Then she picked up her phone, and dialed someone. "Charming… Tell your wife to snag a bore in the forest…"

I looked at her dubiously. "Regina…"

She looked back at me with a raised brow. "Your little girl wants roast pig. I'm giving her roast pig." Her smile emerged slowly. "I thought so. See you tonight for Christmas eve dinner."

"Regina, the cleaning… the hours!" I said once she hung up.

"I have Magic dear. I'm like a freaking microwave. Next year… we will do it right."

* * *

The feast of Christmas was amazing. Regina opened our doors to all of our friends and family. Including Zelena and Her beautiful little girl. We ate and laughed and chatted.

Finally Just before the night was through. before the kiddies went to bed so that Santa could come, I walked up to Regina. "I remember one more Cuban Tradition, that I think I will share with all of you. We all opened one gift before heading off to bed so that Santa could come. Regina I have something for you," I held my hand behind me and made it appear in the palm of my hand. "I won't get down on my knee, because I wouldn't be able to get back up, but.. I love you so much, You are my happy ending, My happy beginning, my happy medium… You are the best gift I have received this Christmas. As Beyonce said, If you like it then you better…"

She laughed remembering he shocked expression I gave her when I had come upon that particular song in her shuffle. "Oh my god."

"Will you marry me Regina?" She nodded and hugged me tightly. "I put a ring on it!" I said, and our guest clapped all around us, and the oohs and ahs that filled the room faded away the moment I looked at Regina's tearful eyes. I took the ring out of the box and slipped it on to her finger. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said.

* * *

**December 25, 2015**

* * *

"Moms, you awake, are you dressed?" Henry said peeking around the door.

"If you don't want to see us indecent, I suggest you refrain from coming to our room at ungodly hours." Regina mumbled burying her head further into my hair. We had only just began to fall asleep. I chuckled and tightened the blankets around myself, there was more of me to cover now.

"Do you do that every night?" He asked curious and disgusted at the same time.

"If possible… yes." Regina answered.

"Regina!" I gasped. "Wake up."

She startled a bit, and groaned. "I'm just so tired.

"Give us an hour Henry, just one more hour." I begged.

"I'm just excited. I want to see you open the gift I got you."

"One Hour." I repeat.

"Fine." He grumbled and closed the door behind him.

I giggled. "Do they ever outgrow that?" Regina asked

"You're just mad cause you've never kept anyone in your bed longer than necessary."

"How fortunate for you." Regina said sighing and laying on her back.

I turned to face her and traced a finger on her shoulder and made my way up to her still damp hair. "Is it really?"

"Emma… you gave us an hour… we should use it wisely." She said.

"Okay but set your alarm, I will not wake so easily." I said.

"Wonderful idea." Regina said doing so and we both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes it really is short, I'm sorry for it. I hoped you liked it! remember to tell me what you think in the little box below. 'til next time! Much love~ S.K


	10. Happy New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another short aside.

* * *

**December 31, 2015**

* * *

 

“So, why is it that you took me out to this if you don’t even want to dance?”  I asked my fiance.  

 

“You wanted to go out.  I didn’t see a reason not to come out.”  Regina said with a shrug.  she was in a funk because Henry wanted to go out with Momo instead of staying in with us and ending a crazy year with his moms.

 

I sighed and squeezed her hand.  “Okay, so let's dance.  Let's see if you have the dance moves to go with your musical tastes.”

 

Regina laughed.  “I can’t dance.  Your father taught me how.”

 

“What?  you and my dad?”

 

“It was before I defiled your precious body dear.”  She said rolling her eyes.  “It’s not like I got to it first.  She mumbled Regina.”

 

I pulled her on to the dance floor anyway bringing her body as close to mine as possible.  “I like it when you defile my body.”

 

I felt her growl on my fingertips as I ran my fingers down her back.  “I’d rather be defiling your body right now.” she whispered in my ear as I began to sway her back and forth..

 

I ran my fingers back up her spine and settled them on the nape of her neck.  I turned my head and her heavily hooded eyes looked at me. with unrestrained hunger.  Her hands held on to my hips tightly, and she swayed with me. “yeah. why did we come out again?’  I gasped

 

“You wanted to.” she smirked as the deejay interrupted our little dialogue and off rhythm dancing.

“Ladies of Storybrooke, The time has come.  Grab your partner it it's eleven fifty nine.”

 

Regina looked up at the monitors, New York’s time square replete with people freezing in times square,  A huge 10 appeared on the screen and everyone began the countdown.  Regina looked up, then around at everyone.  I watched her take in the atmosphere around the holiday.  5…”Regina…” 

 

4… “Look at me.”

 

3…. she did  just that.

 

2… “I love you.”  I said.

 

“I love you too…”

 

1…

* * *

**January 1, 2015**

* * *

 

 

“Happy New year!”  The voices rang out all at once and a cacophony of horns sounded out over the place.  I pulled her face to mine and kissed her.  a deep tingle inducing thing that all of me wanted her in me and me in her. “Let's go home.”  I whispered.  “I need you to defile my body.”

 

And we vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

 

Regina made love to me like I was a porcelain doll. with slow soft caresses and special attention to my baby bump.  “Oh babe.”  I said hissing a little bit.  she looked up at me.  “are you afraid to break me?”

 

“What do you mean?”  She asked

 

“Defile me Regina.  Like the queen you are.”  I said growling.  Thrusting my hips at her

 

“What?’

 

“I need you to go harder, please.  I’ll be fine.”  I said breathily.

 

SHe was nervous at first, but her touches and movements became more intentional, just more… God it was… so much more satisfying.

 

After,  Regina lay exhausted by my side.  “I didn’t know you …”

 

“I like a bit of a forceful hand sometimes.  Don’t get me wrong, you have been doing it right.  I just need more sometimes.”  I said Reaching my hand around to service her.

 

“Emma don’t…”  She said.  She was breathing hard still, her body sprawled face down next to mine.

 

“I whimpered.  “Why not?

 

“I am overwhelmed, I was overcome by your need,” Regina said into the pillow,

 

“What’s that mean?”  I asked.

 

“I came.”  She said.  “Hard… and I hurt myself.”

 

“What?”  I asked her   “where?  She over extended her right leg. then bent at her knee and screamed. dropping her foot back on to the bed.  she let out a long list of expletives I am not used to hearing from her.  She reached back and pressed on the back of her thing. b “You have a charlie horse on your thigh?”

 

“OWwww… “  she cried our. and I giggled  placing my hands on her thigh and massaging at the spot where the knot had formed.  when it was over.  I kissed at her neck, and she let out a little snore.

 

I giggled and lay beside my bride to be.  she was beautiful and I looked forward to spending my life with her.

  
  



	11. January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of second Trimester, and The tale of Bluebeard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: HEY!  So it is a week and a half later than I wanted this to be I am sorry... but life.  I've found new love and my daughter's you tube channel has found an interesting audience and I am dealing with the business that is her public status. So I have been a little busy I have to say.  Also, I had gotten a review from some guest person about why we choose Emma to be the carrier .  I chose Emma mainly because Its so unexpected.  Its like most people would think Regina should carry the next baby because Emma already did Henry. Yes it would only be fair, but I like Regina and Emma doing things that throw them a little off balance.  So that's why I chose Emma... I choose Emma mostly because all of the best Magic Baby stories choose Regina.  That is all. It is my preference, especially since she is younger. That settled, here is the much awaited January.  Enjoy

 

 

**January 6, 2016**

* * *

 

I rolled my wrist and opened and closed my hands. I was so bloated and my hands… oh god, I couldn't even grip my gun. Not that I was allowed out on a beat anymore. But this typing wasn't helping my situation at all. I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my tired eyes.

a familiar staccato struck down the hallway, and I looked at the clock. Was it lunch time already? "They keep leaving him for a reason. I want that date, don't you dare give the hall to that man!" Regina was saying as she stopped at the door.

She looked at me and smiled. "Figure it out. I'm the mayor and If I have to I will pull that card." She stopped to listen a bit. "Great, I am at the sheriff's office right now, I'll let her know."

I looked up at her and raised my eyebrows in question.

"Will you be available for a Cake tasting tonight?" Regina asked setting food down in front of me.

"I'm always available for cake Regina." I answered. She laughed a little and finished her phone call as I looked through the contents of the bag she had brought. "Where is your food?"

She sat across from me as she put her phone away. "I already ate."

I gaped at her. "Why?"

"I Had a lunch meeting with Blue Beard, He's opening up a restaurant for seafood by the wharf. he brought a sampling."

"Since when is a sampling a meal"

"Since my ass has nearly doubled in size since the beginning of this pregnancy. It isn't fair that you have the same shapely rear-"

"Regina I work out all the time. You don't have to run you know, there are other ways." I interrupt.

"So you do agree that I am fat."

"I agree that you are insane!" I said and bite the burger she bought for me."

"You just said I needed the exercise-"

"Because you were complaining about the size of your ass!" I screamed and I was done with the food. because now I was upset, and it was all going to come up anyway.

I turned in my chair and grabbed the wastebasket and hurled. Regina rushed to my side and held my hair back.. "I'm sorry… I'm just.." She said at a loss.

"hormonal… I get it. So am I. I said taking a deep breath and reaching for a bottled water to rinse my mouth. I spit it into the basket and tied off the bag.

"let me…" Regina said and took the bag outside with her. I stared as she did so, and smiled. She didn't have to do that, but it was the little things she did for me that made me love her more. She came back inside with a resigned look on her features. "Maybe you are right, I should probably join you on your runs."

"Baby, you look great to me." I answered letting my eyes roam her figure. Yes it was fuller, but only in the right places, and not by much anyway.

She smiled and lifted me out of my chair. She sat down then brought me on to her lap and just held me close. She placed her open palm where she could tell by the spell Bean was putting the most pressure, then kissed the side of my face. "you're welcome Dear. You looked like you were going to throw up again if I let you take it outside."

"This tether is the best idea ever!" Emma said with a chuckle.

Regina smiled, and kissed my neck again. I don't feel what she feels, but I know she feels my urges as she does what she does and her arms tighten around me and she is fighting to control herself. "Um… Excuse me…"

I startle and spring up from Regina's lap. I see her close her eyes and shiver in the chair. "Hi…" I say absently then I turned to look at the man . "How can I help you sir."

"Er… I haven't seen My Sister Abby in five days. She's disappeared you see. She was Blue Beard's wife, and he says she run off somewhere and that just ain't like Abby."

I looked at Regina, and she leaned forward. "How long have they been divorced?"

"Not Divorced Ma'am…"

Regina stood. "Then why is he seeking to get married?" She muttered and walked out of the station.

"Babe, where are you going?" I asked following her to the door.

"To the library." Regina said and instead of hurrying across the road, she vanished into a puff of smoke.

* * *

 

**January 13, 2016**

* * *

 

I stepped out of the bathroom after changing my pj's to some running clothes and noticed my girlfriend stretching, in some running shoes and leggings. I smiled. "You're going again?" I asked amused.

"Yes." She answered standing up to look me in the eye.

"What happened to I'm never running again Emma?"

"I realized, that I was winded because of you… and not because of me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not winded."

"You are right now… but you have more endurance." Regina said. "I don't actually want to run Emma, but I don't want to let you go alone."

"Okay then, let's go." I said and headed down the stairs carefully. Everything I did now was more careful and deliberate. We ran, I ran slower than before so that she could keep pace with me. Yes I was winded. I lose my breath just putting on my pants. And that symptom seemed to hit Regina harder than any other thing she might be experiencing. so I took a deep breath but I overdid it, and everything went black.

I felt her hands hold on to me. "Breathe Emma."

I did, I slowed my breathing down as she walked with me to a bench. "Don't say it…"

"Fine… we will talk about something else." Regina said rubbing my back. "Bluebeard has had seven wives, all seem to have disappeared without a trace."

I took two slow breaths and leaned back into my fiancee. "Seven?"

"But the disappearances usually correlate to seeing him cavorting with someone new. He is a cheating bastard, and Abby his last one was a fool because she was best friends with the one before."

"Ugh… Men."

Regina looked at me and smirked. "They are not all like that, need I remind you who your father is? Or Neal even…"

"Neal was a bastard too… but not a cheater, this is true." I said. "Hook… however… Wait." I perked up. "Abby?"

Regina turned to face me. "What?"

"She was the one with Hook… She… Maybe she ran away with Killian!" I said standing up and running back toward the mansion.

"Emma! Wait." Regina said running behind me, but I really had to bet back home to dress.

* * *

I stared up at the deck of the Jolly Roger and sighed. I hadn't been in that ship since I had seen Abby under Killian. I put my freezing hands in my jacket pocket and stepped tentatively on to the plank.

It was still early, so Hook was either still passed out or just settling down to sleep from the night before. I walked toward his captain's quarters and knocked at the door. There was a groan on the other side and I leaned against the wall to wait trying not to vomit on my pretty new boots Regina had gotten me for Christmas.

He opened the door, and I remembered why I had liked him before. The man is a work of art in the looks department. Even in his current state of inebriation. I looked him over and bit my lip suppressing the tiny spark of attraction I still felt for him. It was pure lust, and I had the real thing at home. Except I know she felt that and could feel that she was down on the docks and I remembered what I had come there for. "Where is Abby?"

"Abby, who Luv?" He asked a bit groggy.

I stepped away from him a little as his Rum breath roiled in my stomach. "The one who you've been fucking… you know Bluebeard's wife?"

"His wife?" He looked around as if he were being punk'd. "I, haven't been with anyone since… you know and she weren't married when I was with her."

I tilted my head. He was telling the truth. "You haven't had sex in Six months?"

"I went much longer than that and I was with you luv." He said and looked down at my belly. "Can't say the same for you."

"I haven't had sex in six minutes." I answered with a smirk and turned away from him, kind of happy to have ruined him for others. "Your girlfriend has disappeared. Join me at the sheriff's office once you've slept off your liquor."

"Aye," Killian said and entered his cabin.

I walked carefully down the plank, and saw Regina standing by the doc railing with her arms folded and a pout on her lips. "I am not dead Regina, I will find other people attractive."

"But that's Hook!" she said.

"Yes… It is. So you should trust I'm never going there again."

"But you would go with someone else?"

"Babe!" I said in frustration. "You can't tell me that you don't look at some people and think, oh my god he… or she is so hot. This tether doesn't work both ways, I'm not aware of your hormonal changes. But I know you love me, and you want me, and I trust you not to hurt me."

"Emma…" Regina said and wrapped her arms around me. "I love you so much it scares me."

"I know… and I thought I was the one with the commitment issues."

"You aren't scared?" Regina asked.

"I'm Terrified."

She then took me in her arms and pulled me close. She kissed me softly then deepened the kiss. "I love you." She said once we broke apart.

"I love you too." I whispered. She kissed me one last time then I pulled away. "Okay, I gotta get back to this. Thanks for waiting for me. See you at lunch."

* * *

 

**January 20, 2016**

* * *

 

The call came in during Family dinner. "SH-Sheriff Swan… I - I know that I am the last person y-you want to hear from… I'm sorry but I need your help."

I tilted my head and looked up at Dad. "Who is this?"

"It's Abby Blue…" She whispered. "My husband is…"

"Bluebeard… we have been looking for you, where are you?" I said and both Dad and I got up from the table.

"I'm in the wharf. The restaurant he wants to open. I broke out of a room he has in the cellar...It's… Oh god He's coming."

"Stay with me but don't say a word we will be right there." I said and took Dad's hand and Vanished in a puff of white smoke.

* * *

I sat in my office late into that night. That sick bastard had a room full of bodies. All of his wives cured and ready to serve up as delicacies in his restaurant.

I felt her before I heard her. I was starting to sense whenever Regina is near. Her cloud of smoke surrounded me and she placed her hands on my shoulders the moment her body had arrived in the room.

"You should leave this paperwork for tomorrow." Regina said leaning closer, It's near Midnight."

"fine… It's just...I can't imagine you being evil, and If you were that evil…"

"I was evil, just not mentally disturbed." Regina said coming around leaning on the desk in front of me. "Emma, I would have never been that grotesque, I was misunderstood… not despised." She shrugged. "Well not a lot. I was something to endure, not survive."

"I guess… Well It's all over now."

"It is…" Regina looked back at the man, the former Pirate. A murderer slumbering on the cot as if he had not done the most despicable things. "Sometimes, I wish I were still a villain. I would snuff his life out in an instant."

"Babe, I wanted to… Like I felt that darkness build up inside me and I wanted to hurt him." I answered.

"I don't think you should be in his presence any longer. I am sending him to Zelena's old cell." Regina said waved her hand toward the man. "That man is dangerous and should not be here where he could harm you or David, or anyone who may walk through those doors." She said picking up her cell and dialing a number. She walked around the desk and talked to the people in the hidden ward at the hospital. When she was done, she turned to me. "There, he is all tucked in and locked away. Now let's you and I get home before it is no longer Wednesday."

* * *

 

**January 27, 2016**

* * *

 

"welcome to your third trimester!" Shirley said as I sat on the table. Regina and I smiled as I lay back. "Let's see how our little girl is growing. Did you drink all of your glucose solution this morning?"

"God Shirley that was awful." I said. "I don't remember it being so sweet."

"She almost couldn't keep it down." Regina said rubbing at her stomach. Her face was surly.

"I know, it's gross, but good news, you don't have diabetes, which is what that whole thing was for."

"Thank goodness." Regina sighed in relief. Then she smiled down at me.

"Let's take a look at this munchkin shall we?" Shirley said bringing the sonogram machine. "We just got our 4D machine and now we can take a look at our little beauty queen."

A thrill went through me. I hadn't gotten a chance to do this with Henry. I squeezed Regina's hand as Shirley applied the goop all over my belly. I stared intently at the screen and then there was an image, a round little bulge then an arm shot out from behind. I gasped. It was as if the baby had been draped in a golden blanket. She turned her head and the shape of her face appeared. "oh…" Regina said holding me tighter. No doubt overwhelmed by not only how she was feeling, but how I was feeling.

I took a deep breath and squeezed her back. "She's beautiful." I whispered.

Regina nodded and kissed the top of my head.

Shirley smiled at us as she worked the buttons. "She looks very healthy, and is growing at the perfect rate."

"So what now?" Regina asked. "Does she stop exercising?"

"Only if she wants to." Shirley said. I smirked at my fiance. "She does need to listen to her body's cues, but women can remain active all the way til the end of pregnancy."

I chuckled a little. "Regina, I'm fine, you don't have to come with me."

She sighed in frustration and sat at the chair. "I just don't enjoy running."

"What do you like?" I asked sitting up after Shirley wiped the goop from my belly."

"I don't know." Regina said. "Sex?"

"Regina!" I said in pretend shock. but I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well that is a great exercise." Shirley said "It uses all body muscles."

"We already do that." I said.

"Yes well… I exercise every day." Regina said.

"Well… the bottom line is, Regina, That sex is a great way to get your blood pumping and burn calories. Emma, every once in awhile for the sake of your relationship, you can skip the gym for a private session with your partner." Shirley said to me. then she turned to Regina again. "But For the sake of your health, make a habit of engaging in both regularly. You're better off getting sweaty in the gym with Emma first, and then reaping the sexual benefits of your workout afterward.

"We'll do different things, and see what you like." I said.

"Okay… Yeah." Regina said with a nod.

"Okay…" I said and we kind of awkwardly sat there looking at Shirley as she told us about things. Then we walked out of there in silence side by side. and I looked at her. "Wanna go do some cardio?" I asked.

She looked at me and smirked taking my hand. "We'll come back for the car later.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  What did you think?  I hope you enjoyed the chapter.  Send me a review by writing what you think in that text box bellow it is much appreciated.  I will start to work on February right away, but I am sure It will also be a little late.  Til Next time, Much love! ~ S.K.
> 
> Bluebeard- American folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in Histoires ou contes du temps passé. 
> 
> The tale tells the story of a violent nobleman in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors.


	12. February

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> itchy belly...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sososososo sorry This is like two months late. and I am still working on march... and april we are at the home stretch so this is getting paingul to do. I hope you enjoy this seriously fluffy story to stick it through anyway.

**February**

* * *

 

 

“Are you crying?” Regina said stopping what she was doing.  I looked down at her sternly. She had been kissing at my belly working her way down my body and I needed her to get where I wanted her to  fast.  It had been days since we had been intimate and if she didn’t touch me soon I would very well cry. Emma you're-- you’re leaking!”

 

She sat back and stared at me in fascination… well at my breasts actually.  I looked down and saw the milky white dot forming at the tip of my nipple.  “That never happened before… well not till after Henry was born.”

 

She cupped my left breast gently, I knew  that she could feel what she is doing to me, and she was spurred forward and licked at the tip. I gasped.  “It’s sweet.”

 

“Fuck Regina, we have to get to work, can you just…”  I trailed off as her fingers hit home.  I moaned loudly and lay back in our bed and just as it was getting good my phone rang.

 

Regina held me down on the bed and looked over at the phone. “It’s your mother.”

 

I bucked my hips.  “Shut up, never say that word when we’re doing this again.”  Regina laughed throatily and leaned down to nip at my neck to continue her work.  Then the phone rang again.  I tried to ignore it, but when the third time it happened Regina answered.  “What is it?”  Just as I let out a low moan. But then she stopped everything and pulled out of me.

 

“Regina, what the fuck?”  I asked as she crawled away from me and turned away.

 

“What do you mean?”  She said at a lower register, but I still could hear her.  

 

“What’s going on?”  I asked sitting up in bed.  She turned her back to me.

 

“For how long?” She asked then stopped to listen.  She sighed.  “Alright, I’ll let her know.”

 

I watched my fiance hang up my phone and hand it to me.  She sat heavily on the bed next to me. “What is it?”

 

“Your mother has disappeared.”  Regina said.

 

“She what?”  I asked sliding out of bed and into the closest pieces of clothing. “How long?”

 

“He said he thought she had come here , they had argued just before so he thought she had come here.”  Regina answered .  “She’s been gone all night.”

 

“shit.”  I whispered pulling on some leggings and turning to throw my hair in a ponytail.

 

“Emma, he says that it feels different.  Like something was severed.”

 

“Are you saying mom’s been magically kidnapped?”  I said stopping at the doorway and looking back at my fully dressed fiance.

 

“I’m saying Magic might have something to do with it.”  She answered.  “Your father is out looking for her.”

 

“Ok, Lets go.”

 

* * *

**February 10, 2016**

* * *

 

 

“Stop scratching.”  I hissed at Regina.  Watching her relieve the itching I was feeling was irritating me.  she wasn’t the one being stretched from the inside out.

 

“How can you stand this?”  She says leaning back in her chair.

 

“I just do, Now let’s concentrate on what Marianne said.”  I scoffed back.  “She said something “like” a man Took her sister.”

 

“What do her sister and your mother have in common?  She is tall and slender, not short like your mother, she is not fair like your mother.  she is beautiful and dark.  She is not a teacher, she doesn’t run the same social circles.  I’m at a loss here, Emma none of this makes sense.”

 

“Her sister says that Her True Love has felt the same way my dad did… always thought it was because they share a heart.  But--”

 

“That’s it Emma, It’s love.”  Regina said and jumped out of her seat and went over to her wall of books.  She pulled one out and opened it.  “Where is it…”

 

“What is that?” I asked coming closer to her.

 

“I have a feeling there’s some strange magic happening…”  She said and trailed off.. “here.”

 

She handed me the book and pointed at the page. “The Bog king?”

 

“He despises love in all it’s forms, but True love is what he despises the most.  Your mother, and that little princess Dawn had found that, and so have all the princes and princesses in town.”

 

“Including you and I…”  I said looking at her.   She nodded.

 

“Use me as bait.”  She said after a moment.

 

“God, Regina… no!”  I said “How is that going to help anything?”

 

“It will help, because I know how to use magic. And using me is better than you going in…”

 

I looked down at my belly and frowned.  For the first time I wished I wasn’t carrying this baby. How was I supposed to protect my family if I couldn't do my job properly?  “Regina, please be careful.”

 

“Of course dear.” Regina said leaning forward to kiss my lips.  “Now I’ll be right back, and we can figure out how to bait this Bog King.”  She kissed me softly and stepped away with a sensual smile.

 

“Woman…”  I growled  knowing that that she knew what that smile was doing to me.

 

She chuckled and disappeared in a haze of purple.  I sighed closing my eyes tightly trying to get the Regina Fog off my brain.

 

“Love Fogged Sheriff, Time to say goodbye to the Evil bitch…”  Was the last thing I heard before my world truly went blank.

 

The itching in my belly woke me.  I reached my hand to my belly, and  scratched a bit as I looked around the place I was.  It was dark and dank like an underground.  It smelled like Dirt and people.  I looked around.  People meant that maybe Mom was here somewhere.

 

I looked around for any sign that there was a light, or maybe life. I strained my ears and heard a sniffle at the far corner.  I raised my hand and brought up a fireball.  “You have magic!”  the girl across the way said.  She was dark…  And Regina wasn’t lying when she said she was beautiful.

 

“well… Yeah, I thought every bod--”

 

“NO!  The bog King… He’s taken other’s magic.”  Princes Dawn said.  “True love’s magic… You still have yours.”

 

I looked around the room, it was just a dirt and wood hovel. I threw my flame at the door of the cell, but instead of it lighting up, it sputtered out. “It’s weak.”  I said and headed toward where I’d seen the door.  “Mom… mom do you hear me?” I whispered.

 

“Emma?”  She squeaked from across the hall.  If you could call it a hall.  “ Oh My god Emma… Are you okay?  You’re not hurt are you?”

 

“No, I’m fine… It's Just my Magic is weak.”  I answered and pulled up another fireball.  I could see her across the way now and I smiled seeing that she still looked okay.

 

“How long have I been down here.”

 

“A week mom… Dad can’t even sense you anymore.”

 

“Well lets hope Regina can sense you and get us out of here.”

 

I threw the fireball up in the air intending for it to hover above, but it fell and fizzled out. “Shit… I wish I could use this magic.”  I mumbled as I brought up another. “So what happens now?”

 

“They will come and feed us fruit… bread and cheese stuff like that.  They don’t want to kill us… just take our magic.”  Mom said.

 

“But you don’t have magic.”

 

“True love…”

 

“Strongest magic there is… I know.  But I have your magic.”

 

“Which is why you are here…”  Another voice said.  An older woman.  “you not only hold your parents true love's magic, but you hold your own true love magic within your womb.”

 

A woman yes older, older than Regina even but still stately walked up to my cell.  “Then why do I still have it?”

 

“There is a protection cast over you.”  she looked at my hand still holding the fire, then back at my face.  “Put that away, all you are doing is exhausting yourself.”

 

She was right and I extinguished myself as I put my hands down to my side. “Who are you?”

 

“I am Griselda, Queen of the Dark Forest.”

 

“Why have you captured us?”  Mom asked.

 

“I have done no such thing… It is my son.  He has been keeping and stealing magic from anyone falling in love… true love. He keeps them here, until they die from lovelessness.”

 

“WHat does he need it for?” I asked coming closer to the door.

She laughed.  “He needs love… My son is not the most handsome.  He is ugly even.  He wants to make a love potion.  He had one once that ridiculous imp that used to be the dark one had given him.”

 

“He is still the dark one.” I answered darkly.

 

“Yes… well… My son used it once so he could find his true love and failed. Now he takes it from everyone that holds it.”

 

“What does he do with it?”  

 

“He takes it and wears it as a disguise, in order to find a suitable love.”

 

I sat back against the wall and sighed.  I wonder how long my protection would last.”Why are you telling me this?”

 

“Because, I know there is someone out there for my son, if he would just allow himself to be open .”

 

I nodded.  Yeah I get that.  But what am I supposed to do here in this dungeon.  I rubbed my belly and hoped that Regina’s Tether was holding up, because I can’t sense her either.

* * *

  
  


**February 14, 2016 (Happy Valentines Day!)**

* * *

 

 

I woke up, and I was starting to lose track of time. .  My body was stiff and aching, they brought us food three times and I wasn’t so sure it was enough.  I was starving.  I took a deep breath and turned back toward the cell door. “Emma?  Are you awake?”

 

“Mom?”  I asked and crawled over to where I could see her.

 

“Do you hear that?”  She said standing.  I tilted my head straining to hear what she was talking about.  Then a whoosh of flame shot through the hallway.  I jumped back startled.

 

“Regina…”  I whispered.

 

“Emma?”  Rregina questioned aloud. 

 

“Babe!, I’m here!” I said reaching out for her.  Her hand clasped mine and I finally saw her face.  She smiled in relief.  She kissed me and pressed something into my hand turning her attention to the door itself.  “What’s this?”

 

“Food, you’re starving.”  I looked down and saw it was a granola bar and smiled happily opening the bar and taking a large bite.

 

“How did you find me?”  I said around a mouthful.

 

“More on that later… Where is your mother?”  She asked.

 

“I’m here.”  Mom said behind her.

 

“Ok, Stand back.”  Regina said and I saw her produce a ram built of nothing but energy.  I stepped back as she released, and the ram punched through my cel, then moms… and kept on going down the hallway to all of the doors.

 

“Why didn’t I think of that?”  I asked myself.  

 

“Your Magic was bound by the cell… Not very well mind you but enough.”  She turned to Mom then back at me.  “is there anyone else here?”

 

“Yes,”  Dawn  said.

 

“Well lets get a move on, they are bound to notice all this noise.”  Regina said and I looked down the corridor of destroyed doors.  Pale heads darted out of the doors, and I blinked.  “Lets go, Emma.”  She prompted and pulled me toward where she came.

 

* * *

 

THe sun was rising as we got out of the underground compound.  We fought our way through, Marianne and some others fighting alongside us but we were finally out.  I dropped to the ground next to Regina and sighed.  “That was brutal…”

 

She smiled and shook her head. “I thought I’d lost you.”

 

“BUt you didn’t lose us…”  I answered.

 

“Marry me today.”  Regina said turning to me.  “Like right now.”

 

“What?”  I asked in shock.

 

She looked around.  “Your mom is here, your dad… I’m sure if we call Henry he would come out to the beach and we can have your dad marry us.”

 

I smiled at her bemused… “It’s freezing out here.”

 

“Then we better make it quick.”  She said and stood up and went to talk to my parents.  I watched her go then stood up from the floor, with a great deal of effort.  I’m thirty weeks pregnant, what was I thinking allowing myself to sit on the ground.

 

I walked toward my bride as she talked on the phone.  “Meet us at the pier okay?”  She said.  I looked at her and my smiling mom and dad, and I smiled back.

 

My mother squealed and ran toward me giving me a hug.  “Happy Valentines day, Emma… you’re getting married!”

 

I smiled at how cliche’d that was.  I hadn’t even known it was Valentines day.  I looked at Regina as she talked with someone about the wedding.  “No he says he will get too emotional if he does.”  

 

I Looked at my dad and she shrugged then he wrapped his arm around me and walked me to the  pier.

 

The wedding was simple, Just the five of us and Blue, who performed the ceremony.  Then we were off to the mansion where I spent the rest of the day languishing in my comfy married bed and for once not wanting anything to do with sex.

 

“Are you okay?”  I asked Regina as she slid into bed that night.

 

“Just so happy to have you home.”  She said with a sigh.

 

“Okay.”  I said closing my eyes.  Regina made a sound, sort of a mix between a sigh and a whimper.  “Babe what's wrong?”

 

“Nothing, I’m fine.”  She answered.  I sat up in bed.

 

“What?”

 

“You aren’t feeling anything.” She answered.  “You are always feeling things.”

 

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“It’s our wedding night, and…”

 

“Oh…”  I said.  “Are you feeling things?”

 

“Emma, I’m not insensitive to the fact that you have had a harrowing few days, I can handle myself.”  Regina answered looking at me intently.  “I just haven’t had to for so long that… It’s been four days.”

 

I couldn’t help it.  I giggled a little.  I didn’t want to full out laugh at this. “I am aware… and I want you to remember this when the baby comes and we're both so tired we can’t… you know.”

 

She looked at me aghast… “Please tell me we will not let this die.”

 

“Oh I promise, If we aren’t feeling anything I will personally buy the lady viagra.”  I answered putting up three fingers in a girl scout honor.

 

She smirked, and nodded.  Then I leaned down and kissed her lips.  “Good night my wife.”

 

I smiled.  “I like that.”

 

She smiled back at me… “Me too.”

* * *

 

 

**February 17, 2016**

* * *

  
  


“Why does she do that?”  Regina asked that morning as she rolled on to her back.  

 

“Why does she do what?” I asked sitting up in bed trying to catch my breath.

 

“Ifter we have sex, our daughter is always so active.”  She said  placing her hand on my belly, where the baby was indid doing quite a bit of bouncing.  

 

I giggled, because I could feel her legs poking at my side, and her but was pushed up making herself very visible.  “I don’t know, can you imagine being in there and all this … moving was happening.”

 

“Do you think she knows?”  Regina whispered to me.

 

I laughed out loud. “How would she know?”

 

She chuckled and  kissed my belly.  “Alright, let’s get you to breakfast.”

 

“Geez… Married three days and you’re already bossing me around.”  I said rolling out of bed.

 

She slapped my thigh as I walked past her and laughed.

 

* * *

 

I stood and stretched, walking around my desk to sit in front of it.  The bog king was still spitting mad, and looked hungry for the magic coursing through me and Bean. He sat in the cell defenseless as he had been stripped of all true love’s magic he had taken.

 

Marianne came into the station and smiled at me.  “Hey! um, I wanted to  see if you needed a break, david has been letting me watch for him while you were on your mini honeymoon.”

 

I smiled at her and nodded.  “Hey… Yeah,  Thanks Marianne.  Just don’t get to close to him,”

 

“No problem.”  Marianne said.

 

“Cool.”  I answered.  “I’ll be back in Ten.  My back is killing me.”

 

“Okay,”  I heard her say, and I decided to walk to the diner for a bear claw.  I had forgotten my wallet so I turned back to the building and a flash of gold and purple shot out through the town.  I knew that well, It was true love’s kiss.  I ran inside and saw that Marianne and the Bog King were in a lip lock.

 

“What the…”  I asked.

 

Marianne stepped back and looked at the remade Bog King. “I…”

“I’ve found my true love.”  He said.  His features were less rough and ugly.  something like what happened on beauty and the beast.  he was not this strange creature anymore.

 

“Now you have magic of your own…”  I said. Marianne smiled, as did the Bog King.  “Too bad you can’t leave.”

* * *

 

**February 24, 2016**

* * *

 

“This is ridiculous,” Regina said looking out of the window in her office.  

 

There were picketers outside with free the Bog King signs.  Some saying, “If the Evil Queen can be free so can he” and another that says. “True Love Redeemed him”.

“You could just let him free.”  I said leaning back on her desk.

“He kidnapped half a dozen people , and held them hostage for days.  Assaulted an officer, and endangered a child… Emma…”  Regina raged.

“Regina,  You were the evil queen.”  I said calmly, because I suddenly had a pain in my lower back that felt different from usual. “You’ve done much worse, you were redeemed and forgiven.”

she sighed. “He had you for days…”  She whispered.

“”Yes, but babe…”  I started and doubled over in pain as my belly tightened.  “Oh… god…”

Groaned in pain. “What is that?  I have been feeling it at odd times all day.”

“A contraction.”  I squeaked.  Then it let up and I took a breath.

“Isn’t it a little early?”  She asked coming to me.

“Yes… so it’s probably nothing.” I said taking another breath and relaxing.

“Nothing?” She asked.  “We are going to the hospital now.”

“Regina…”  I said as she took my hand. “It’s probably ju--” and we disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

“Here we are.” She said when we arrived at the same time as I said.

“--st Braxton … Hicks”  I sighed.  “I’m going back to the station.”

“Oh no you are not.”  Regina said pulling on my hand, because I can feel the next contraction coming…”  Then she scrunched up her face as the tightening in my belly increased and shot pain from my lower back to my knees.

“Fuck…” I muttered.

“See?”  Regina said sitting me down onto a chair.  She went off to get help stopping a few seconds as pain gripped her a little harder.

 

* * *

 

“I told you it wasn’t time.”  I said as she helped me into bed.

“Yes, I know it wasn’t time, I also know that Shirley put you on leave.”

“Desk duty is not leave.”  I said resting my head on the head board.

“You are not going in, You don’t do well with desk duty.”  Regina said.

“I do fine.  I won’t do anything dangerous for me and the baby I promise.”  I answered.

She stared at me for a long moment and sighed.  “Emma… I love you so much, please be serious about this.”

“I am .”

“OK.”


	13. March

* * *

**March 2, 2016**

* * *

 

I was out for my morning walk this Wednesday when I received a frantic text from my wife.  

 

**Babe: Henry’s gone, he’s not answering his phone.**

**Me: Wait, I’m coming.**

 

I texted back and transported myself into Henry’s bedroom.  I looked around and the room looked normal. “It’s not like him not to say anything,”  I said waddling my way toward his desk.

“I know, Emma, do you think maybe Mulan and Momo have seen him?”  Regina said looking around the room, sensing something magically off with it just like I did.  I knew it wasn’t just my imagination.

“Have you called?”  I asked.

“Emma it’s five o’clock in the morning.  I thought I’d call the Sheriff first.”

I sighed and sat at his desk and spotted a book.  Like one where the author wrote our stories on. I opened it and inked there in regular ball point pen was.  “I Need my magic back.”

“Regina…” I said showing the book to her.

“How is he planning to do that?”  She asked herself then looked over at me and paused. “You are not to go out there searching for him.  David and I will do it.”

“He is my son Regina.”

“He is our son.”  She corrected me and took one of his things to track him. But before she could leave, Henry came into the room.

“Where have you been?”  I said.  My voice coming out shrill.  Something I know doesn’t happen with me.  That is not me.  It has never been.

They both blink at me, but since she agreed with me Regina only looked back at him waiting for his answer.

“I was out.”  He said and dropped his body onto his bed.  He stared up at the ceiling and said not a word.

“Henry!”  Regina stated.  “What is going on with you?”

“Nothing, can you leave my room please?”

I stood from his chair and just kind of looked at my teenaged son.  I looked around the room some more and could tell something else was happening, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I spotted it, a book called the turnip princess. I quirked a brow and picked it up.  

“Wait, ma… what are you doing?”

I shrugged.  “Just a little bit of light reading.  Never heard of this fairytale before.”

Regina looked at the book and raised a brow.  “Neither have I.”

I furrowed my brow and headed out of the room. “Wait, Ma!” I turned back to him with a look that told him he needed to spill everything if this book meant anything at all. “Never mind.”  He grumbled and dropped back onto the bed.

Regina and I glanced at each other then back at our son before we both left the room.

 

* * *

 

The book had totally slipped out of my mind until Family dinner.  Where both mom and Dad had noticed a change in our moody teenager.  At first, I dismissed it as just that.  He is a teenager, he is moody.  So I thought nothing of it until I got into bed and noticed the book on the side table.

I picked it up and began to read.  I saw this book was a compilation of lost fairy tales. “Hmm..”

“What?”  Regina said coming into bed with me.

“I don’t really know what the big deal is with this book,” I said handing her the book.  “These are just more stories.”

“This is Storybrooke, dear,”  Regina said taking the book from my hands.  She put on her readers and began to read.  I smirked.  She looked so cute with them on. “Stop staring at me, Emma.”

I giggled. “I can’t help it.”

She put the book down and tried to glare at me.  Tried… I lean forward and kissed her softly.  Just a peck. “Maybe this book is inconsequential.”  She murmured putting the book on the nightstand.  I grinned and pulled my wife to me.  The book could wait.

 

* * *

###  **March 9, 2016**

* * *

 

“Emma Dear, you’re wearing two different shoes,”  Regina said smirking at me.

I groaned and looked down at my feet.  Except I couldn’t see my feet.  “I’m so glad you find this amusing.”

She helped me sit and changed one of my shoes to make a pair and sighed. “Henry’s been moody this week.”

“He- he’s a teenager,”  I said to her trying to throw her off his scent.  It was true he was moodier, but it was because He and Momo had broken up.  He didn’t want to hear Regina’s I told you so and I didn’t blame him.

“But Emma, this could be a sign of something worse,” Regina said sitting next to me.

“Like what Regina?”  I asked turning to face my wife.

“Well, I’ve been looking at the book.”

“And?”  I asked.

“The story of the author is in there.”  She finished.

“What?”  I asked.

“Well, not the author per se, but the pen. The Enchanted quill.  An instrument of wish fulfillment. Until Merlin got a hold of it.”  Regina said.

“What has that got to do with Henry?”  I asked.

“Do you think he is looking for another one?”  She asked.  And then it dawns on me. That my son may be wanting to change all of this Momo stuff.

“Why would he Regina?”  I asked a little panic in my voice.

“When we were in the underworld, he really thought he could use that pen.  Maybe he just wants it back, just in case?”

Okay, so there are many reasons why my normally unselfish son would want to have that pen back. And though it could be a selfish reason… it could be an unselfish choice he is making.

“Moms I’m leaving.”  There was a shout from the other side of the door. I teleported to the landing before he could leave.  It was the only way I was ever going to catch that little rat, while I am this huge.

“Wait a minute… You’re ok with this whole Momo thing right?”  I whispered.

“Yeah… I just want to think… okay?”

“You aren't’ due at school for two hours.” I continued still hushed.

“Ma I’m fine.”  He said as Regina pushed open the bedroom door.

“Was that really necessary?” Regina asked coming to us.

“I wanted to catch him before he got downstairs,”  I said quickly. “So bacon pancakes got it?  Extra maple.  I’ll be waiting for it at the station.”

“Got it.”  Henry said and kissed his mother’s cheek before rushing down the stairs with a “Bye mom.”

“Goodbye Henry,”  Regina said to our son then faced me with narrowed eyes.  “Bacon pancakes?”

I shrugged.  “I have a craving and you weren’t going to get it for me.”

“You do not have a craving--” Her stomach growled because my appetite was seriously anticipating these freaking bacon pancakes now. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You don’t have to eat it.  But as long as I get them, you should be just fine.”  I said and wiggled my brows as I headed down the stairs.

* * *

 

I’d just sat down at my table to wait for Regina when Momo came up to me.  “Sheriff, may I talk to you?”

I looked out the window and did not see my wife heading in my direction so I nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

“Henry is being really weird, I mean I know we broke up, but he just… He’s really not being his normal self. Like he is a serious loner at school now.”

“He wasn’t like that before?”  I asked.

“No, everyone loved him.  I don’t know what is going on, but I don’t think it’s because of me.”  She looks behind her then back at me.  “The Mayor scares me a little bit, so I think I’m gonna go now.”

I looked beyond her and Regina was walking into the diner. “Okay, talk to you later Mo.”

She nodded and walked away.  I smiled at my wife as she sat across from me.  “What was that about?”

“Henry is being a douche,”  I answered.

“Told you so,”  Regina said and I rolled my eyes. “So does she know why?”

“No, but she did bring up a good point.  He is being strange even in school.  I think we need to know what Our teenager is up to.”

“So what?”

“We have magic, isn’t there some kind of magical tracking device that would tell us what he has been up to?”

“Sorry dear, It looks like there is some old fashioned steak out in order.”  She responded.

“We get to camp out in my bug?” I asked with a smile.

“You mean that big yellow eyesore?”  She asked appalled.  “He will catch us in seconds.” Never mind that she was right. She just insulted my ride again.  She hadn’t done that in a long time. “Emma…”

“No, you’re right… I just thought of the invisibility spell I learned while I was the dark one… We can use that.”  I answered tersely.

“Emma…” She started then sighed. “I love you.”

“Yeah sure.  We start following him tomorrow morning.”  I said and left the Diner without ordering my meal, I wasn’t hungry anyway.  Bacon pancakes that morning had been enough to fill what little room I had for food.

 

* * *

###  **March 16, 2016**

* * *

 

“There he goes,”  I said slapping Regina’s arm.

She looked up from the book she was reading.  We were sitting at the park.  It was a beautiful spring day.  Which was weird because it had been a freezing, but this was a nice warm day.  Henry had stopped going off on his own for a while and had slept in that morning.  It was spring break and totally expected. So when I saw him following some blonde girl into the woods that was neither Momo or Violet I had to let Regina know it.

“Strange,”  Regina said checking her phone for a text. “He didn’t say he was going somewhere…”

I sighed and took her arm cloaking us both in invisibility and pulled her behind me. “That’s because he doesn't want us to know.”

We moved as fast as we could to catch up to him into the woods. “Please, I’ve done everything you wanted me to do.  My moms think I’m on drugs or something.”  He said as we approached. We peaked around the tree.  He was with the girl she was pretty, but I had never seen her before.

“Another newbie.” I murmured.

“Shhhh,”  Regina said. 

The girl turned herself to a raven and looked at him. “Take a feather from my tail.  It will do what you need”

“That’s it?”  Henry said.  “And I can have my pen back?”

“That’s it.”

“I thought he was done with all of it,”  Regina said furrowing her brow. I watched our son go and pulled her with me to follow.  He headed to a park bench and pulled out the fairy tale book and a razor and Regina let go of me and ran toward Henry.  “Stop!  What are you doing?”

“Mom!”  He said and turned to face the both of us.  “Were you two following me?”

“Clearly, we needed to follow you,”  Regina said taking the razor from him.  “Just what do you think you are doing?”

“I need to write.”  He said then looked at me then back at his mother.

“Do you really want to start writing fiction?  Isn’t that how everything went wrong?”  I said folding my arms across my chest.”

Regina looked at me.  “Is that what… Were you going to make…”

“I wasn’t ready to break up with Momo okay?”

“Magic comes with a prize.  You know this better than anyone.”  Regina said.  “And you were willing to throw all of that away for a girl?”

“Not just one girl…”  He mumbled.

I walked up to Henry and sat next to him.  “Your mom, sister and I will be just fine.  I think it’s great you got a replacement for your pen, but I am going to need you to be more careful about this.  I need you to let us be people.

“I’m sorry mom,”  Henry says.

“Never do this again,”  I said hugging hi to me.  “I hate doubting you kid.”

“I love you Ma, I love you, mom.”

I kissed the top of his head and held him to me. “I love you too.”

 

Later that night I start to feel a little pressure on my abdomen.  More Bankston hicks, now.  I headed to the bathroom to pee and My underwear was covered with my plug.  “Fuck,”  I said cleaning myself and heading into our room.

“Was that expletive necessary?’  Regina asked as a settled into bed.

“I just lost my mucous plug.  “  I answered making myself comfortable in bed.

“What do we do now?’  Regina asked sitting up straight

“Relax, I’m not in labor.”

 

* * *

**March 23, 2016**

* * *

 

 

“Sheriff Swan, Shirley will see you now.”  The secretary said and I stood. As I did I felt a pressure and Bean settling onto my pelvis.   I took a deep breath and smiled.  “What was that?”  Regina asked.  I had forgotten she could feel what I felt.

“What was that?”  Regina asked.  I had forgotten she could feel what I felt.

“I think Bean just dropped.”

“What does that mean?”  Regina said coming to me and walking with me toward the exam room.

“It just means she’s getting in position to arrive,”  Shirley said as I climbed onto the table.

“But it’s too soon!”  Regina said with a panic.

“Babe, she’s fine, We’re fine.  It’s normal I promise.”

“Emma’s right, we’re gonna check her out, she is fine you will see,” Shirley said and began the exam.  Once we got to the pelvic exam, Shirley paused a moment. “Hmmm”

That got my attention.  I looked at the mound of my belly which was obscuring Shirley from view.  Regina leaned forward as if she could see what Shirley saw.  “What is it.”

“Your cervix is really soft,”  Shirley said

“What’s that mean?”  I asked not really liking what I was hearing.

“It means that your body is getting ready to let the baby out of your womb.  It’s a little early, but if you take it easy from now on…”

“That’s it, Sheriff, You are on a mandatory leave,”  Regina said.

“What?”  I said looking at my wife incredulously.

“I mean it, Emma, I need the two of you to be well,” Regina said turning back to me.

“Regina, it’s a little early but bean would be alright,” I said reaching for my wife’s hand. “Right Shirley?’

“Well Yes, you are at thirty-six weeks, your baby would definitely survive if she came now.  But you are four weeks early.”  Shirley leaned back in her chair.  “The Mayor is right, it’s time for leave. And as long as your water doesn’t break your baby should be just fine.”

 

* * *

 

“Absolutely Not!”  Regina said pulling me back down into the booth at Granny’s after the appointment.

“Regina, I can’t just leave my job in the middle of the work day,”  I said turning to face her.  The bell over the door rang, and she looked up to see who it was.

“All I am saying Emma, is that you don’t have much that you need to handle at the station, what you need to handle can certainly be done from the comfort of our home.”

“Listen to your wife Emma.”  I heard from behind me.  Dad leaned down and kissed my cheek.  “You will be happier this way trust me.”

Regina quirked an eyebrow.  “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”  Dad asked sitting to my left leaving room for the rest of the family as they straggle in for family dinner.

“Equate Emma with the male in our marriage?”  Regina said folding her arms. “She is not the man in the relationship.  If anything, I am. A woman can’t do that.”  She signaled to my belly.

I looked at my wife.  “I could if you hadn’t taken that potion,” I stated.

“Whoa… no.  I’m not implying anything.”  Dad said raising his hands in surrender.  “Emma has my temperament and Snow… well, she was raised by you.”

Regina was taken aback.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you are the boss,”  I said shrugging my shoulders. “Just like my mom is at their house.”

“Who’s the Boss?”  Mom said carrying Neil on her hip.  Dad quickly got out of his chair and grabbed a high chair for my brother.

Neal reached out to me as soon as he saw me and I reached for him and held him close.  I am so glad to have all of them in my life.  I felt my eyes prickle with a sudden burst of emotion.  It was happening more and more frequently but I usually could keep it under control.

I bit my lip and looked away from everyone.  Then I saw Henry out of the window walking hand in hand with Momo.  They were smiling.  “Looks like all’s well with your nephew,”  I say to the toddler in my arms.

Neil smiles and gives me an open mouthed kiss on the cheek. “Hey buddy, that’s my girl,”  Regina said cooing at Neil and tickling his side.

At his giggle, Bean did a somersault and Regina stayed still. “Oh wow.”

“What was that?”  Regina asked.

Then I began to get a contraction. I took a deep breath hoping that it wouldn’t get too strong. “Emma are you alright?”  Mom asked as she reached for Neil and put him in the high chair.

“Yeah…”  I said unsurely.

“No!”  Regina said looking at me upset.

“Does it hurt Regina?’  I asked her.

“No…”

“I’m fine.” Just then Henry and Momo walked into the building and I was off the hook for a while.  I sat back and worried a little.  I tried to keep it in check because I knew if I let it get too far, Regina would pick up on it. That had never happened to me before.  I hardly knew Henry was there the whole pregnancy.  I looked over at Dad and smiled.  “Hey, I won’t be coming in again.  I’m taking leave.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief.  “I was wondering when that would happen.”

I smiled.  “I have to listen to my wife right?”

“Absolutely,” he said and slung an arm over my shoulder. For the rest of the night, we put worry for Bean aside as we enjoyed each other’s company. It was family night.”

 

* * *

###  **March 30, 2016**

* * *

 

###  I am going bat shit crazy at home. It was great for the first few days that I got to sleep in after Regina left for work.  But taking it easy is just not my thing.  This morning I opened my eyes even before Regina woke up.  I have had too much rest.  I have had way too much time to myself.

I sighed and turned to face my wife.  It’s a no-no to lay on my left side, but I needed to look at something interesting.  So I lay there and imagined my wife naked.  Imagined her naked because I hadn’t seen her that way in a long time.  I hadn’t seen her like that in a long time because I can’t stand having her touch me when I feel like a beached whale. But now I want her.

Her eyes opened as soon as I decided that, yes I was indeed horny.  She blinked a few times because my desire was that strong, that it transmitted through the tether.  Usually, the thoughts are fleeting, but this time it was consuming me.  Her eyes found mine, a hopeful gleam registering there. She reached out and ran her fingers through my hair and I closed my eyes letting a shiver run through me.  God, I missed this.

We didn’t speak, she only leaned in and kissed my lips hungrily. Her hands roamed places that they hadn’t touched in weeks.  She needed this as much as I did, that was clear. When we were through we lay in silence listening to our breaths and the sounds of our son waking up and readying himself for school.

“Thank you.”  she murmured after a few minutes.

I laughed a little and shook my head. “I forgot how much I love sex.”

She laughed as well and looked at the clock.  “Ugh… I have to go.”

“Stay with me… we’ll go again,”  I said hating the thought of another day of nothing to do.

“I can’t today my love.”  She said softly as she leaned forward for a kiss.  I turned my head and she kissed my cheek. “Wha… Emma, Today we’re finalizing the plans to bring those untold Stories to light.  They have been leaking out all these times we’ve been dealing with them this year.”

“Fine,  go.  Call me if I can help with anything.”  I said sitting up in bed with some effort.

Regina sighed and rolled out of bed from the other side, and headed into the bathroom. “Of course Emma.”

I sighed and pulled my oversized t- shirt back on.  I grabbed a pair of shorts that slung low on my hips just below my belly.  Then I walked over to Henry’s room and knocked. “Come in,”  he said

I opened the door and saw that he was pulling on his sneakers. “Hey.”

“Hey, ma.”  He said picking up his bag.  “Thanks for letting me hang out with Mo before school today. We’re gonna watch the sunrise at the docks then head on over to Granny’s”

“Yeah, okay,”  I said.  He stood next to me and the kid was looking me directly in the eye. “You and Mo okay then?”

He blushed and smiled. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Why did you break up?”  I asked.

“I don’t know, I guess she didn’t like that I was always in some sort of danger.”

“That hasn’t changed much Henry… what changed her mind?”  I asked folding my arms over my chest.  “You didn’t write it that way did you?”

“No,  Ma… I just… I told her that as long as we were together, we could conquer a lot.  True love conquers all.  Just look at you and mom.”  He said. “Or grandma and Grandpa. I told her it was in my genes to always go back to her, so she said she missed me and we started talking again.”

I smiled.  I had never been used as an example for anything good.  A cautionary tale maybe… but an example?  “I love you kid, you better hurry or the sun will catch you.”

“Okay, love  you too.”  He said giving me a kiss on the cheek and a belly rub as he ran out of the room.  “BYE MOM!”  he shouted on the way down the stairs.  Regina came to our bedroom door and peaked out.

“Bye, Henry,”  she said then looked over at me.  “Why is he leaving so early?”  

“Early morning date with Momo,”  I said.  She walked out of our bedroom and kissed me.

“I have an early morning date with your father. I see you after work.”  She said and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

I sighed.  “Well Bean, it’s just you and me again,”  I walked into the nursery.  I smiled as I entered this room. It was beautiful in purples and pinks with the lanterns from the Tangled floating up onto the ceiling painted on the walls and a sky above.  There were draperies flowing from the center of the room out to the sides just enough to make it feel like a canopy without it being heavy and little lanterns hung overhead like tracked lighting to light up the room at night.  The crib was shaped like Cinderella’s carriage… and then on the wall was scrawled the words. 

“Once upon a time, there was a princess named Emma who fell in love with a Queen…”  That was Henry’s idea. I walked over to Bean’s wardrobe which was a gift by Gepetto and looks just like the one that brought me to this world and looked through all of her clothes.  I had spent the past week just washing and sorting the clothes by age, color, and style.  She had so many clothes.  Regina had gone overboard. 

I busied myself picking the clothes bean would be wearing home from the hospital.  It was the first time I had been able to allow myself to think about after the baby comes.  I was going to give birth, and I was going to hold the baby, and I was going to bring her home.  I was gonna bring her into this room, and lay her in this crib, and rock her in this rocking chair, and feed her from my body.

I became so overwhelmed I cried.

My cell rang.  I could hear it in the bedroom, but I didn’t want to move.  My wife was there in a puff of smoke.  “Emma, what’s the matter?”  she asked kneeling next to me.

“I’m so happy.”  I sobbed into her shoulder.  She sighed in relief and held me tightly.  “I just didn’t let myself feel anything before, it’s just rushing through me now, I’m sorry.”

Regina chuckled softly and kissed my temple.  I raised my face to look into her eyes.  They were so full of love I had to kiss her again. “So you are okay?”  she asked once I separated.  I nodded.  “Good, I’m gonna go back okay?”

I nodded again, and she was gone.

Between breakfast, straightening the nursery and lunch, my morning went fast enough. But after there was nothing else to do.  I lay down and took a nap on the couch… well, I didn’t intend for it to be a nap, but I just was too bored to stay awake.

The slam of the front door woke me up.  Two sets of feet ran up the stairs and, “Ma, Momo and I are going to do homework up in my room!”

My heart was beating faster than it should, I sat up on the couch and moaned at the pain in my lower back. “Henry, keep your door open,”  I shouted after him.

“I know, I know.”  he moaned back.  

I sighed and stood up.  I suppose I better try to do something useful with the rest of my day.  So I got up to make dinner.  That should work the kink out of my back.

The pain didn’t let up after a while, so I gave in and took a mild painkiller given to me by Shirley.  It eased up somewhat, and I thought maybe… Nah.  

I made a casserole for family night.  Something simple, and tasty if I do say so myself.  I was taking it out of the oven as Regina walked through the front door. “Smells incredible Emma,”  she said as she walked toward the kitchen.  “But I need you to sit down.”

Her voice sent a burn through me so red hot that It surprised us both. “Or we can go upstairs and take care of this before they get here.”

“Okay.”  she breathed out her shock.

“If we puff it will save time…”  I said. She nodded and disappeared.

When I got to the room I saw Regina's cloud of smoke appear shortly after. “I’m going to need you to take a breath.”

“I’m gonna need you to take off your clothes,”  I said working on mine.

She waved her hand and soon I was naked and she was too. “I can’t breathe Emma take a breath.”

I took a deep breath and watched her mirror my actions.  The pain in my lower back eased up even more and she smiled.  Then she came to me.  And we kissed hungrily we didn’t have much time. I ravaged her first I needed her to feel wanted again because I did miss her, though I had neglected her. When it was my turn, she slowed it down.  “They will be here soon.”  I moaned.

“I don’t care, Henry can let them in,”  Regina said and she took her time.  As if she was sure that this would be the last time in a long time that she would get to do this. I came hard as a knock on the door happened.  “Moms you in here?”

Regina kissed my shoulder and covered the both of us with our covers.  “Yes, Henry?”  She unlocked the door magically and waited to see if our son would dare open the door.

“Um, Grandma and Grandpa are here.” He said from just a crack on the door.

“I see…” Regina said, “well I’ll wash up and be right down then.”

“Okay,”  Henry mumbled, his face reddening.

I laughed .  “we are so embarrassing.”

Regina shrugged.  “We are newly wed. He will get over it.” she kissed my shoulder and slid out of the bed heading to the bathroom to wash up.  When I got up to wash up, there was an extra trickle of fluid running down my leg.

“Um… Regina?”

She looked back to me.  “Yes, Dear?” then stopped. “Is that blood?” she looked at the bed, it was not red, then she looked at my leg.

 

“I’m not bleeding,”  I said looking at my leg where the light pink lines ran down it.  “It’s my water.”

 

“Shit.”  She said and went into our closet to get me a loose dress just enough to cover my body.  

 

“I need a pad babe.”  I said softly “I’m afraid to move or I will leak some more.

 

“Okay,” Regina said.  “Just wait a second.”  She came back and helped me into a boxer brief lined with a pad and helped me down the stairs.

 

“Hey there love birds.”  mom chirped as she saw us walk down the stairs.  Then she paused as she saw me in a dress.

 

Regina took a deep confused breath.  Because I wasn’t feeling any pain. She scrunched up her brow, though she wasn’t exactly frantic about how it was three weeks before I was due.  I was proud of her.  She looked at my parents and smiled nervously.  “It’s time.”

* * *

 

_ Franz Xaver von Schönwerth,  The Turnip Princess , ed. Erika Eichenseer, trans. Maria Tatar (New York: Penguin, 2015), pp. TK. _


	14. April

* * *

**April 1, 2016**

* * *

 

Labor stopped, Leaking stopped. And I have been stuck in bed for more than 24  and I feel like Bean has pulled the ultimate April fool’s joke. I looked at the clock on the wall.  It’s midnight.  I had to pee again.

Regina was in the cardio chair next to me completely asleep.  They moved me to a tub room hours ago.  Expecting that yesterday would be the day I gave birth.  

It was not.

Usually, Regina knows when I have to use the bathroom before I even say it.  But she is exhausted.  She barely slept.  I hate to wake her now, but I really don’t want to piss myself.  I decided to break the rules and waddle to the bathroom across the room.

I hold onto the IV pole full of Pitocin and step lightly and as quietly as possible to the bathroom.  Bean drops as I squat over the toilet, and a searing pain rushes through me.  I hear Regina scream in pain in the room. “Emma?”

I pant trying not to cry out. “Yeah?”  I say hardly audibly.

“What are you doing?”  she says painfully.

“She’s coming out…”  I say feeling the pressure in my pelvis, the pee wasn’t coming, Bean was pressuring my bladder. 

“Help! “  Regina shouted outside.  “The baby is coming.”

Soon there was a sound of rushing water filling the tub in the birthing room. And a flurry of nurses coming into the bathroom.  Shirley came in and scowled at me. “I am going to feel to make sure she is okay,”  she says to me reaching between my legs.  “There’s that little noggin.”  Shirley says, “Let's get you relaxed in the Tub.”

When I come out of the room, I see Regina slide out of her robe.  She is wearing a bathing suit and settling in so that she can support me as I birth Bean.  They help me into the tub and I settle on my wife’s chest.  She kisses my temple and whimpers as she feels my next contraction.

She holds my hand and lets me squeeze as she breathes through her pain and mine.  “It’s time… are you ready?”  She whispers in my ear.

I nod and feel Bean settle in my pelvis.  I adjust myself and watched as Shirley took a good measurement of dilation. “Okay sweetheart, I need you to bear down through your next contraction,”  Shirley said

I took Regina’s painful groan as a cue and pushed.  The pain was not going away from me, I couldn't tell when a contraction ended and when it began. I sighed as I stopped pushing and leaned back onto Regina. “You’re doing great sweetheart.”  She whispered in my ear.

“Shut up,”  I growled took a deep breath and pushed.  She could feel I was in pain.  She needed to be quiet now.  Her pain was irritating me.

Regina went quiet after that.  I didn’t hear a peep from her, but between pushing Bean’s head out and her shoulder I looked at her face.  Her eyes closed her lips pressed tightly shut, pain evident in her features.  Between contractions, while I was still in pain and she was on break she stroked my thighs.

“Alright.  Shoulders are tough, but you can do it” Shirley said.  I pushed and I could hear my wife gasp in pain behind me.  Trying to keep from crying out.  I leaned back against her braced myself lifting my hips just slightly Shirley reached out to hold Bean’s head as I gave one great push, and she slid right out.

Regina let out a surprised squawk as the wiggly infant was pulled out of the murky pink water.  Shirley rinsed her face and unplugged her nostrils and Bean let out a roar.  Regina laughed out in joy.  I collapsed back, tears streaming down my eyes.  She was here.  She was alive and so pink.  Shirley placed the baby on a table next to the tub and cut the umbilical cord before placing her on my bare chest.

I wrapped my arms protectively around the little girl and kissed the top of her head. “She’s so beautiful Emma,”  Regina said as she wrapped her arms around the both of us.  I chuckled and turned my head and kissed her.

“I’m sorry,”  I said.

“I get it,”  Regina answered.  “The pain I had was pretty intense, I can only imagine what you were going through.”

I looked at our daughter, who calmed and was trying to open her eyes. “Welcome to the world Winter Corinne Mills,”  I whispered.

“Couldn’t winter  be the middle name?” Regina grumbled. “It’s spring time.”

“Well, I could just call her Mary Margaret.”  I joked.

“Hush your mouth.”

I chuckled and handed Winter to the nurse.  I watched as they wrapped her up.  The nurse held me up so that Regina could get out of the tub and they helped me to my knees. “You aren’t done, you need to birth the placenta,”  Shirley said.

I don’t remember that, but I was consumed by grief last time. I pushed and could feel the gelloid sack ooze out of me slowly.  Once I was done, they cleaned me up as best as they could put a fresh gown on me and put me to bed.  I would recover here until the afternoon and go home.

 

* * *

**April 6, 2016**

* * *

 

 

“We brought Dinner.”  Mom said walking into the door.

 

“I thought I told you I wasn’t up to a family dinner.”  I heard Regina growl, still holding the door to the house open.

 

“Regina, I brought food.  I know what it is like the first weeks after a baby.”  Mom said heading into the kitchen.  I looked at my wife from where I stood in the den rocking Winter to sleep.

 

“So do I.” Regina insisted closing the door and following her inside.

 

“Well, you aren’t alone anymore Regina.  You have Family.  Let us help.”  I heard mom and I moved to the kitchen.  When I entered the room, I saw my disheveled wife sitting defeated at the counter, and my mom with that stupid grin Regina hates. 

 

I think what was bothering Regina more, was that she looked like she didn’t have it together.  Winter hardly ever slept.  But if Regina looked disheveled, I looked like a thing of nightmares because Winter never lets me go.

 

“Hi mom,” I said quietly having just settled the baby.

 

“Oh…”  She said as if she hadn’t just seen her two days ago.  She came closer and I stepped back.

 

“We haven’t slept in days… this is the first time she has settled mom please don’t wake her.”

 

Mom looks at both of us then smiles at the baby. “You just weren’t tired huh baby…”  she whispered.  “Here, let me have her and you…”  she looked me over.  “Go take a shower.”

 

“She will cry…”

 

“Let her cry.  You need a shower, you need a break, both of you.”  She took Winter who opened her eyes the moment mom took her.  She cried and I reached for her again. “Go!”

 

Regina and I walked tiredly up to our room.  I could hear Winter cry, and my breasts grew heavy. “Your mom is right you know,”  Regina said.  “Come on, Shower, and refresh yourself.”

 

“Nah, you go… I’ll go when you are done”  I said sinking down into the bed.  I don’t remember much after the shower began to run because I fell asleep.  I didn’t wake till much later.  Regina shook me awake just before 9. “Oh my god… how long...”

 

“You needed the sleep Emma, It’s okay.  Winter needs a feeding though, here’s some water.”  I took the water from her and downed it.  I was parched.

 

She handed the baby to me.  She hadn’t been crying.  I looked at her.  “Your mom told me to let you sleep and I agreed.”  Regina sat next to me.  “You spoil Bean rotten, she was fine after you left. Happy with her grandmother and uncle downstairs.”

 

Winter began to fuzz as she nuzzled my chest.  “Oh, I’m just a wet bar to you huh?”  I said to the nuzzling baby and gave her what she wanted.

 

“Did you rest well?”  Regina asked running her fingers through my hair and working some tangles out of it.

 

“Yeah, It was great.  Thanks for that.”

 

“You should pump a little for the two o’clock feeding, and I’ll do it.”

 

“You haven’t slept Regina,”  I stated.  “Tomorrow. Okay?”

 

“Why do you do that?”  Regina asks untangling her hands from my hair.

 

“Do what?”

 

“You don’t let me help you.  I have done this before you know.”

 

“Regina…”  I sighed. “Well, I never got to.”

 

“Believe me, you will get to this time.  Let me help.”  Regina ran her hands through her hair and dropped onto the bed.  “You should shower.”

 

I nodded. “I will.”

 

“Are you hungry?”  She asked turning to me.  I nodded, so she left the room and down the stairs. As I finished feeding Bean she came back into the room with a plate full of whatever mom had brought. “I’ll burp her, you eat,”  Regina said setting the plate down on the side table.  She took Winter from me and settled on her pillows laying the baby across her chest and pat her back.

 

As I ate she told me about dinner with mom and Neil.  Dad was at the station.  Henry and Momo had been there too.  “It was nice,”  Regina said wistfully.

“I hope all of this lasts,”  I said as I finished my plate and magicked the dishes into the dishwasher. I looked at the baby who was asleep in her other mother’s arms and I smiled.  “I’m liking this freedom of motion.”

 

Regina smiles.  “Go enjoy it in the shower… “

 

I gape.  “Are you trying to tell me I stink?”

 

She chuckles, “Absolutely.”

  
I moved to hit her with a pillow but thought the better of it and stuck my tongue out at her and headed for the glorious shower.  As I washed the sweat of the days gone by, I reflect on the reason for it all.  The love for Regina.  The hope for our future, and the knowledge that I will always have family by my side. 


End file.
